Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass
by BregoBeauty
Summary: Spin-off of Alice and What Came After - A simple trip to Wonderland goes horribly wrong, splitting the Hatter family up. Now they have to figure out the mystery of the Looking Glass before it's too late. AlicexHatter & potential SarahxChase.
1. Prologue: Five Years Later

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to the SyFy production of _Alice_!

**Summary:** At twenty years old, Sarah Hatter is questioning much of her life and her choices. She decides to do what she always does—run. With her twin at her side, Sarah goes through the mirror to Wonderland. Only, this time, something goes wrong and Sarah's stuck in between the worlds.

**Prologue: Five Years Later**

Five years ago, Sarah Hatter made her first trip to Wonderland with her twin brother. On that first adventure, she found an ancient sword, rescued her father, got shot, and fell in love. She also bonded with her nerdy brother in more ways than she cared to recall.

But a lot can happen in five years.

Which is how, on her twentieth birthday, she found herself facing the mirror in her parents' dining room. Connor was busy stuffing his mouth with food, Rex, Sid, and Nancy all circling around him for scraps. Her parents were in the kitchen and her grandparents were in the living room. Other than that, their flat was silent.

Sarah touched the silvery surface of the mirror, her hand slipping right through.

"Ya gonna go back on your own?" Connor asked.

"'Course not."

"Then why are you staring at it? You expectin' company?"

Sarah glared at her twin. "You know very well that… whatever it was is over. It's been over. We both moved on."

"You didn't."

"Are you kidding? I've had loads of boyfriends."

"Yeah, and after a few weeks of snogging, you dump 'em. You don't really like any of 'em."

"That's not true! Josh was… nice…"

"He smoked crack!"

"Well, what about Dan, then?" Sarah challenged. "He was normal."

"If normal is a bisexual sadist, then yeah, he was really normal. Did ya forget about the time he left ya handcuffed and bleeding in your dorm?"

"How could I? You held it over my head for months!"

Connor rolled his eyes. "Sarah, honestly, who are you trying to fool? Me? Yourself? Mum? Dad? Chase—?"

"Don't you _dare_ say his name."

"It's been years. Besides, wasn't it your idea to see other people?"

"You know what? I don't care. I'm not having this discussion."

Sarah stormed out of the dining room, her low heels clicking as she hurried down to her bedroom. The door slammed behind her.

*~*~*~*~*~*

In the kitchen, Hatter and Alice both jumped at the sound of the slamming door.

"Sarah…" they mumbled.

"I think some time in Wonderland would do her some good. She hasn't been there often since college started," Hatter said.

Alice sighed. "But in Wonderland, there's Chase. And we all know how well that ended."

"There's the shop. Maybe she'll want to fix it up and start selling regular tea there. Only I suppose it'd have to be 'A Taste of Oysterland' instead of 'A Taste of Wonderland'," Hatter suggested, smirking at his wife, his hat crooked.

"I don't think Wonderland's the answer."

"It's part of her and Connor. Alice, they're twenty now. We can't force them to stay in New York forever."

"I just have a bad feeling, Hatter."

He kissed her on the lips. "Alice, luv, let them be kids for once, eh?"

"I don't know…"

"It's their birthday."

Alice stared at her husband. She couldn't resist his pouting. He always knew how to slip under her skin and get his way. He was like a big kid, her Hatter. But she loved his odd sense of humor, style, and ideas.

"Fine. If that's what they want, then they can go."

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Why do I always let you talk me into these ridiculous plans of yours?" Connor groaned.

Sarah slipped her backpack on. "Ridiculous? I happen to think they're brilliant."

Connor adjusted his fedora as Sarah straightened her own hat. "Yeah, but I better not get shot this time…"

"Oh big deal. You were wearing a vest—I wasn't."

"Are we still on about this?"

Sarah cocked her head at him. "Really? When were we off it?"

"Jabberwock?"

Sarah threw her arms around her dad. "Are you going to come along?"

"Maybe in a day or two. It's been busy at the shop."

She nodded. "I'll miss you. Want me to tell Grandpa Charlie hi for ya?"

"Yeah and check on Dormie and Ratty. Make sure they're staying outta trouble."

Sarah kissed her dad on the cheek. "Love ya, da."

"Love ya, Jabberwock. Be safe."

They broke apart, Hatter slipping a knife into her hand with a wink. She pocketed the blade before hugging her mum.

"Have a good trip," Alice said.

"Always."

Connor and Sarah stood beside the mirror together. "Who's going first?" Connor asked.

"You."

"Wha—"

Sarah pushed him through the mirror with a smile. "Bye!" she called, waving to her parents before sliding through. Except, unlike a normal passage between the worlds, Sarah felt herself dropping down, not through the second frame leading to Wonderland.

With a scream she tumbled down, down, down into darkness.

**Author's Notes:**

Well, what do you all think? It's five years down the line from the current A&WCA so a lot's changed. Both Sarah and Connor have just graduated college and are turning twenty. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know!

Enjoy and please review!


	2. Chapter 1: Shattered Glass

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything rights related to _Alice_—it belongs to those fine folks at SyFy and Nick Willing. Rex, Sid, and Nancy belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures and I'm just borrowing him. Sarah, Connor, Damon, and Chase are my own creations.

**Chapter One: Shattered Glass**

"Sarah? Where are you?"

Connor Hatter stood up, brushing bits of leaves off his pants. "Sarah?" he called again.

He looked back at the mirror. The glass wasn't shimmering. He reached out to touch it, only to have the mirror shatter.

Glass shards flew across the office. Connor flinched as a few shards rained down on him. One particular shard sliced open his cheek. He hissed, his fingertips come away wet with his blood. He stared at the red color for a moment, looking a bit faint.

"Sarah?"

His voice trembled. Connor had never felt so incredibly alone in his entire life.

*~*~*~*~*~*

With a groan, Sarah turned over. Her entire body ached from her fall.

"Conn?"

She sat up, looking around her new surroundings. It wasn't the comfortable, familiar tea shop of her father's or the hardwood floors and shining surfaces of the apartment. This was dirty, rough, and strange. Not even Wonderland strange.

Sarah slipped her backpack off her back. God, her back hurt.

"Connor? Connor Kyle Hatter!"

Connor hated being called by his full name. She never understood why—she thought there was nothing wrong with his name personally—he hated it so much. He usually reacted hostilely and loudly when his full name was used.

But nothing. No yells or curses. Wherever she was, Connor wasn't with her.

Sarah felt a shiver roll down her spine. Where was here?

There was no mirror in this dank place. No mirror meant no way to get home.

Sarah rooted through her backpack, searching for her cell phone. Maybe she could call Connor and find out where he was. Or… maybe her parents. Either one would work.

Her cell phone was in a side pocket. She picked up, pressing buttons. There was no light from either the screen or the keypad. Sarah groaned, pressing the power button. Nothing.

She turned the phone over in her palm. That's when she noticed she'd crushed the device in her fall. Service or no service, her phone was useless.

She put the broken phone back inside her backpack. Whenever she got home, she'd have Connor take a look at it and recover all of her contacts and pictures. He was good at that, even if he couldn't fix the mangled phone.

_Connor, where the hell are you? And more importantly, where the hell am I?_

*~*~*~*~*~*

Back in New York, Alice and David Hatter stared at the mirror in their dining room. The shimmering glass wavered, then shattered.

Alice rushed toward the mirror. Hatter held his wife back, keeping her out of the minefield of glass. He could hear her screaming, but he couldn't make out any words. Everything—light, sound, thoughts—was all a blur for him.

_Sarah… Connor…_

Gone. His children were gone. The only question was, gone where? And why had the mirror shattered?

*~*~*~*~*~*

Connor stumbled over to his father's desk, his mind jumbled.

_Sarah?_

He reached out to her, his mind wandering down the thread that connected them. He sought that connection to her.

_Sarah?_

Instead of the usual rush of emotions, he felt nothing.

_Sarah… it's me. Are you okay? Where are you? Sarah?_

*~*~*~*~*~*

_Sarah?_

"Connor! I'm here! Connor!"

No response. His voice had been inside her head.

_CONNOR!_

The connection, that last link to home, snapped. Connor's comforting presence was gone. His worried feelings were gone.

He was gone.

Sarah closed her eyes, trying not to cry. He couldn't be dead, could he? He had gone through the mirror first—did that mean he made it to Wonderland?

_Connor?_

Nothing.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Chase ran into the apartment. "What's wrong? Is it Sarah?"

Hatter led him into the dining room. Glass crackled underneath their feet. The space normally filled with the mirror—the focal point of the room—was gone.

"Connor and Sarah… they went through the mirror. It… broke…" Hatter explained.

"What do you mean… broke?"

"Shattered. Just like that."

Chase shook his head, looking at the wooden floor. There were shards everywhere and if Hatter was right, this had once been the portal between their world and Wonderland. The mirror was gone.

"That's not possible…" Chase argued. "No portal or Glass has ever just broken."

"Well this one did."

He touched the empty frame. "It shouldn't… it's never… a portal's never just broken."

"We need to get to Wonderland and find out what happened."

"I thought the mirror was the only portal left on this side… at least near you…" Chase said, confused and worried at the same time.

"There's the rabbit hole. Other than that… who knows?"

Chase frowned. "Do you think they're okay?"

Hatter swallowed, clearly unnerved. "I have to believe they are."

"How's, uh, how's Alice taking it?"

"Not well."

The young blond nodded. That was understandable. Alice had always been protective of the twins. Having them vanish when she probably didn't want them near the mirror in the first place had to be eating at her.

"I guess we should check out this rabbit hole then? And maybe ask Caterpillar about the mirror. I know my father gave them to you, but I have no idea how they work."

Hatter nodded, "Yeah. I'll, I'll get Alice…"

Chase stayed in the dining room as his boss disappeared. He stared at the shards, wondering, not for the first time, if breaking up with Sarah was the right thing to do. Of course, it had been a bit of Sarah's idea.

The past five years had been a whirlwind for their relationship. On again, off again, on again—they were together and not together so often he couldn't keep track. And when she went off to college, they pretty much said good-bye for good—she went on to date other men and he, well, he gave in to some other women.

Sarah haunted him. When Hatter had called him, his first thought was Sarah. She might have moved on—according to Connor, she had numerous times—but he still cared about her.

"Chase, I'm sorry that you got dragged into this…" Alice said, giving him a hug.

He gave Sarah's mother a half-smiled. "I don't mind. Really. Just tell me what I can do to help."

Hatter slipped an arm around her waist, supporting her. "Just come with us, I guess. There's nothing we can do here. They can't come home through there."

Chase nodded. "Okay. Rabbit hole it is."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Her backpack hung off one shoulder as she crawled through a tunnel. She could see daylight at the other end. The tunnel was wide, but not tall.

Sarah sucked in a deep breath of fresh air as she exited the tunnel. She dusted off her jeans as she stood up.

Wherever she was, it was rundown and very gray. Even the sky seemed overcast. Cars surrounded her, some with the doors open, others closed. Every single vehicle was abandoned. Graffiti covered the sides of the buildings.

"Hello? Is anyone out here? Hello?"

She wove in-and-out of the cars and buildings, moving quickly. This place felt off.

"Hello?"

It was close to twenty minutes later that she heard a human voice. Another female hissed at her to be quiet before dragging her inside a building. The stranger bolted the heavy metal door before paying her any attention.

"Who are you? What is this place?" Sarah asked in a rush.

The woman turned, her brown hair cropped short. Her clothes—a dark jumpsuit—had lots of slashes, stains, and looked very worn out. She also carried a backpack and wore a bandana around her neck. She had the remains of a tan.

"My name's not important. But you need to stop shouting before they come."

"Before who comes?"

"The Predators."

**Author's Notes:**

Ehh, I'm not too sure that I like this chapter. There's a lot of bouncing around between POVs this time. Yes, there is a bit of a crossover going on, but it's not a major part of the story. Actually, scratch that, it's a big part of the story—or at least Sarah's side.

Comments? Questions? You know what to do… ;)


	3. Chapter 2: Anomalies

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything rights related to _Alice_—it belongs to those fine folks at SyFy and Nick Willing. Rex, Sid, Nancy, Helen and other things/people of that nature belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures and I'm just borrowing. Sarah, Connor, and Chase are my own creations.

**Chapter Two: Anomalies **

"What are the Predators? Like the movie?" Sarah asked, still confused by this mystery woman and the world she was trapped in.

"No, not at all. These Predators are more deadly than any movie has portrayed. They're fast, cunning, ruthless killers. Some people, like your parents, call them 'Future Predators'."

"My parents?"

"You are Sarah Temple, are you not? It seems you've developed quite a habit of traveling through anomalies. I suspect your father duplicated my technology?"

"Sarah Temple? I have no idea who you're talking about…"

The woman stared at her like she was a specimen. "Really? That's strange. You look just like your father…"

"So?"

"You are Sarah Temple. What are you doing here in the future? Where's your device?"

"Device?"

The woman ripped Sarah's cell phone out of the side pocket of her backpack. She examined it. "This… wait… this is a cell phone…"

"What did you think it was?" Sarah demanded, snatching the mangled phone back.

She waved a handheld device, similar to a cell phone, in front of Sarah's face. "One of these. What else would it be?"

"I think you've got the wrong person. Who are you, anyways?"

The dark-haired woman slipped the device back into a pocket. "Helen Cutter, of course. You should know that, Sarah."

"How do you know my name?"

"I know your parents."

"Really? What's my dad's name then?"

"Connor, Connor Temple. Did you hit your head back there? The little dark-haired computer geek? Remember?"

"No… the only Connor I know of is my brother."

"You don't have a brother."

"Yeah, I do. I don't know this… Temple person you're talking about."

"That's impossible. You look just like him. Just like his daughter too. Well, before the Predators took over."

"Where am I?"

"The future," Helen Cutter said with a wide grin.

"That's not possible. The mirror doesn't go to the future."

"Mirror?"

"Yeah, mirror. How else do you think I got here?" Sarah said, annoyed.

"Through an anomaly."

"What the bloody 'ell is an anomaly?"

Helen pulled out her device again. She pressed a few buttons and a shimmering spot appeared in the air. It shone, much like the mirror, except it was fragmented.

Sarah stared at the surface. She reached out to touch it.

Helen Cutter shoved the younger girl through the shimmering hole.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"After you," Hatter said, gesturing to the small hole in the ground.

"That's the rabbit hole?" Chase didn't seem at all impressed.

Alice smiled at him. "It works a lot like the mirror does. I don't know how, but it does."

Chase nodded, falling down the rabbit hole with a slight push from Hatter. He tumbled down, down, down and then out into an empty patch of grass. He grunted, rolling over.

Moments later he was joined by Alice and Hatter.

"I think I prefer the mirror," Chase admitted, sitting up.

Hatter laughed. "Just about any form of travel is better than the rabbit hole, even the Looking Glass. The landing's a bit rough."

Alice got to her feet with ease. "Now, the hard part."

Chase stood up slowly, surveying Wonderland. It had been over a year since he'd been back to his home. His mother still ruled in place of Alice, or at least she had on his last visit. They'd never been able to work out the time difference between the worlds.

"This doesn't look right."

Hatter cleared his throat. "This is not a good sign."

Below them, on the downward slope of a hill were the burned out ruins of a small town.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Pull yourself together," Connor urged himself, trying to calm down.

Yes, he was probably stuck in Wonderland. Yes, he couldn't reach his sister. Yes, he didn't know if she was still in New York or dead. Yes, this was deep shit. But there wasn't a whole hell of a lot he could do.

Connor slipped his backpack back on. He had to get to the main Looking Glass. Perhaps that was still functioning. If not, maybe he could find out why the mirror broke.

He walked through the tea shop, noting that the grass was higher than usual, the windows dirty, and the shop in general disrepair.

The chairs that were usually occupied by Ratty and Dormouse, two of his father's old companions, were conspicuously empty. Connor frowned at the layer of dust.

_What the bloody hell is going on? Where is everyone?_

_*~*~*~*~*~*_

Sarah landed face-first in the dirt.

She coughed. A boot to her ribs, told her to roll over. She hissed, looking up to see the face of Helen Cutter, the stranger who insisted she was someone else—someone named Sarah Temple—and that this was the future and anomalies existed like portable Looking Glasses.

"Get up!"

Helen yanked Sarah to her feet.

"What is going on?"

"We're going to the ARC. For a little negotiation."

"Where? What?" Sarah was lost.

"You'll see," the mysterious woman insisted, dragging the younger girl by her arm toward a waiting vehicle.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"There's never been a fire in Wonderland before," Chase said, mesmerized by the ruins. He ran his hand along the burned wood.

"This is old," Hatter decided, his fingers covered in ash. "It's long since burnt out."

"Was it natural? Or arson?" Alice asked her husband.

Hatter sniffed his fingertips. "Gasoline. Arson. Someone wanted this place to burn."

"What about the people?"

Hatter and Chase shared a look. They'd both seen the charred bones. Whoever set this fire wanted the people in this small village dead. Why a town on the outskirts of the old city would be a target was a mystery to both men.

"They're dead, aren't they?" Alice said quietly.

"Yeah…"

She nodded. "Now what? We look for more burned homes?"

"No. We find the Looking Glass," Hatter insisted, standing back up. He brushed his hands against his pants. "If that's still functioning, then it's possible our mirror just broke. Like the portal I smashed."

"But we didn't touch it."

Hatter shrugged. "I didn't say I was a miracle worker, did I? It's just a suggestion."

"What about the tea shop?" Chase asked. "Shouldn't we check that mirror? Maybe Connor and Sarah are there."

"No. They won't stay there long. They're going to be heading for the Looking Glass or the castle. They won't stay put."

Alice sighed. "Are you sure?"

"I have to believe they're alive, Alice. But I can't… I can't go to the shop right now. I can't face that yet. We need to check the Looking Glass first."

"Hatter—"

"You know what? You and Chase go to the tea shop. I'll go to the Looking Glass."

Alice stared at him. "Hatter, please—"

"No. You do that. I'm gonna find a way home for us. I'm gonna figure this out."

Chase stood next to the distraught woman. "Let's just go, huh? Maybe they're at the tea shop… waiting for us."

Alice watched as Hatter walked away. She could sense he was upset. More upset than he let on. Hatter had a hard time dealing with emotions and when he got worked up like this, there was nothing she could do to help. She couldn't comfort him or calm him.

It was the Madness. She'd been warned about it before. Once that took over, he wasn't really Hatter anymore. At least, not the Hatter she knew.

"Okay," she said quietly, saying a silent prayer for the safety of her children and husband.

Just like that, they split up, Hatter going one direction while his wife and Chase went the other. Unbeknownst to any of them, Connor had already set out from the tea shop.

**Author's Notes:**

These chapters are going to be shorter than in A&WCA given the suspenseful nature and multiple POVs of this particular story.

Anyways, please, please comment. I will probably change this to a _Primeval_ crossover in future chapters, but I'm unsure. I've already hinted to a few reviewers that the idea of doubles, or doppelgangers, are going to play an important role in this story. Imagine having a double somewhere else in the world… and then imagine running into them… Interesting, huh?

Also, the mirrors/Looking Glass are going to be explained. And yes, this is more SciFi/fantasy than A&WCA is. Thanks for the reviews and keep them coming! Happy Easter in case I don't get another chapter out this weekend.


	4. Chapter 3: Seeing Double

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything rights related to _Alice_—it belongs to those fine folks at SyFy and Nick Willing. Rex, Sid, Nancy, Helen and other things/people of that nature belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures and I'm just borrowing. Sarah, Connor, and Chase are my own creations.

**Chapter Three: Seeing Double **

Connor found Ratty and Dormouse, or at least what was left of them, on his way out of the tea shop. In the barn around the corner, the two men were lying dead. Judging by the stench and decay, they'd only been dead a few days.

Murdered.

Connor was sick just outside the barn, vomiting until his stomach was beyond empty. He'd never seen a dead body before—especially not of someone he knew. He'd gotten to know his father's old friends rather well over the past five years. They used to just be characters in a story until he actually met them.

Now they were gone.

He wiped his mouth, grateful for the bottle of water Sarah had snuck into the side pocket of his backpack.

_Sarah? Hello?_

Still nothing. He couldn't get even the slightest emotion from her.

_So much for a vacation… this is the last time I listen to you…_

*~*~*~*~*~*

The ride in the SUV with Helen was short. Once the vehicle stopped, Helen brought out a gun. She cocked it, aiming it at Sarah's head. "Try to run and I'll shoot you," the strange woman warned.

Sarah climbed out of the car, the gun barrel pressed into her back as Helen propelled her into a building. Alarms went off all around them, but none of the commotion seemed to bother Helen Cutter. In fact, she seemed to relish it as they made their way down a long corridor and into a circular room.

The room, which appeared to be in the center of the strange building, was full of people, desks and technological equipment. At one end, there was a computer station with several monitors hooked together. At another was a boxy workstation where a man with dark hair stood. His back was to her, but she could see the fedora on his head as his fingers worked across the glass top. He wore a waistcoat over his bright red shirt. She couldn't help but smile at that.

"Connor!" Sarah called, wanting to run to him, but knowing she couldn't.

He spun around and her heart sank.

His brown eyes looked at her in confusion then at Helen.

"Smart girl," Helen cooed, pressing the gun against Sarah's head. "Isn't she, Connor? I wouldn't expect anything else from your daughter."

This man, this Connor, glared at Helen. "I don't have a daughter."

"Don't lie to me. I've been to the future. I've seen your little family. Would you like to know their names?"

"What do you want, Helen?"

"You know what, Connor."

"You already destroyed the artifact. What more could you want?"

Helen sighed. "Stupid, stupid boy. I want you to stop what you're doing. I want you to destroy that board over there or I kill her. It's that simple."

*~*~*~*~*~*

_Bloody fucking Wonderland…_

Hatter kicked a rock as he made his way across a field. The grass was tall, almost up to his knees, and most certainly hiding some creepy critters. But he didn't care. All he wanted to do right now was find out what went wrong and where the hell his children were.

_Never shoulda come back here…_

He cursed himself for insisting that Connor and Sarah learn about Wonderland. For giving them dreams of a magical place that had lost its magic long ago.

This was his fault. If anything happened to them, he would never forgive himself.

Hatter skirted the edge of a forest. Just beyond it was a small lake with a dock. If luck was on his side, there would be a boat waiting there. He could take that boat directly to the Looking Glass hall.

If not, then he'd have to take the more dangerous route—through the forest of the Jabberwock.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"This is between you and me… leave her out of this," this other Connor, a mirror image of her father and brother, insisted.

"Oh, no, I couldn't. Where would the fun be in that?"

Sarah tried not to struggle. Helen seemed a bit trigger-happy.

"Just let the girl go, Helen."

"The 'girl', Connor? Are you afraid to call her what she is—your daughter?"

Connor looked at Sarah, his face sad. "You're crazy, Helen. My daughter's only two."

Helen laughed. "She likes to meddle in time, just like her father. Just like _Nick_. I wonder what would happen if I killed her…"

That name got him riled up. It took two people—a woman with dark hair and tan skin and a man in all black—to keep him from attacking Helen. It was clear that both of them shared his contempt for Helen.

Sarah fell to her knees, Helen pressing the gun to her head. "I am going to count to five, Connor. If you don't destroy that board by five, I'm going to put a bullet in her head."

His friends let him go. "Helen—"

"1…"

The other Connor looked at his friends, then at Sarah.

"2…"

She closed her eyes for a moment. _I should've stayed in the tunnel… I should've stayed home…_

"3…"

There was a loud crashing sound. Sarah's eyes flew open.

"4…"

Connor had what looked like a crowbar in his hand. He brought it down over and over again on the glass surface of the boxy machine. Sparks flew into the air.

"5…"

The lights flickered as the power surged.

Sarah rolled to her side immediately. She heard a bullet thud into the floor, most likely where she'd been a moment earlier, and jumped to her feet.

A hand grabbed hers. She could feel fabric—like gloves—and heat. "C'mon, run…" the voice said, the lights flashing again.

The other Connor had her hand. He sounded just like her brother. Their father's accent was the thickest, but Connor's was a bit more mild, more American at times, like this man. The similarities were startling.

Sarah ran with him, flying through the double doors. Footsteps followed them as he led the way through the labyrinth of the labs. He didn't stop running until after they were in what looked like a workout room, complete with lockers, and weights.

Once she was in the room, he shut and barricaded the door.

"Who are you?" Sarah asked.

He looked up at her with her own brown eyes and her brother's face. "Connor Temple. You?"

She held out her hand to shake. "Sarah Hatter."

He shook it, wincing a bit at the touch.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine."

She sniffed the air. "You don't smell that? Something's burning… oh…"

Sarah looked down at his hands, understanding a bit of his sacrifice now. In order to help her, Connor had burned his hands. The crowbar acted as a conductor, carrying the electricity and sparks up to his hands. The metal bar burned through his gloves, burning his skin.

"It's nothing," he insisted, pulling his hand away.

"Can you get your gloves off? The sooner it's cleaned—"

"It's nothing. Really."

Sarah sighed. She knew that tone of voice all too well.

"Look, could you just tell me what you're doing here?" Connor asked.

"I don't know. Really, I don't. Helen dragged me from… the future I guess. She mentioned Predators…"

"How did you get to the future? Was it an anomaly?"

Sarah shook her head. "No. I was going through a mirror—"

"A mirror?"

"It's a one-way mirror. It goes to Wonderland—to my dad's shop. There's a mirror there. You just step through one side and out the other."

"Just like an anomaly."

"No… it's a mirror," Sarah insisted. "A mirror. A Looking Glass."

Connor sighed. "Look, I don't know what you're on about but the only way to the future is through an anomaly. As for this Wonderland stuff… that's a book and a movie. It's not real. You're as crazy as Helen…"

"I'm not crazy. Besides… why do you look like my dad and brother?"

"What?"

"You look just like my dad… only younger. And my brother."

"Your dad?"

"David… David Hatter."

"Hatter? Like the Mad Hatter?"

Sarah nodded. "A distant relative. My mum's maiden name is Hamilton. She's a descendant of Alice Liddell."

"Just like the books…"

"Yes! Because Wonderland is real. And I need to get there. I have to find my brother…"

"Your brother? Who looks like me?" Connor said, still looking confused.

"I know this sounds crazy, but you could be his double. Or my father's."

"A doppelganger?"

"I dunno. Maybe."

Connor cleared his throat. "Do you, uh, have a picture?"

Sarah nodded. "On my phone… there's pictures of all of us. But it's broken—I crushed it when I fell between the Glass."

"Between?"

"I was stepping between New York and Wonderland when I fell straight down. I ended up in this… future with Helen. I don't know how."

"So you did fall through an anomaly."

"No! Yes! I don't know!"

He raised his hands. "Okay, just calm down…"

"I am calm!" Sarah hissed.

Connor winced. "Just maybe a bit more?"

She rolled her eyes. "Look, can you help me or not?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure."

Sarah plopped down on the floor, her face in her hands. "This is a bloody disaster…"

Connor crouched down beside her. "Sarah, right? I'm gonna do whatever I can to get you home. Okay? I promise."

She looked up, tears in her eyes. "You do?"

"Yeah. I will get you home somehow."

"Thank you."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Connor Hatter traipsed across Wonderland, wishing Sarah was with him. She knew the land much better than he did. She could've gotten them basically anywhere in Wonderland with little difficulty.

Not Connor. There weren't exactly maps to study and he didn't travel there often.

With a sigh, he changed course again. There was no way he'd find the Looking Glass Hall. His best bet was to go straight to the castle. He could get there without too much trouble. He sort of remembered how to get there.

If not, perhaps he'd run into a Wonderlander who did know which direction to go in.

_C'mon, Sarah… hang in there…_

**Author's Notes:**

Okay this is the second version of this chapter. Helen's demands and Sarah's escape from her were very different between the two. (Helen wanted Connor to bring Stephen back—alive)

I wasn't intending on this to crossover with "Primeval" but it has, just for a few more chapters. It was a necessary evil to explain the Looking Glass—it'll make more sense in the next chapter, I swear.

Anyways, please review!


	5. Chapter 4: Erased

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything rights related to _Alice_—it belongs to those fine folks at SyFy and Nick Willing. Rex, Sid, Nancy, Helen and other things/people of that nature belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures and I'm just borrowing. Sarah, Connor, and Chase are my own creations.

**Chapter Four: Erased**

It wasn't long before one of Connor's friends knocked on the door, giving them the all clear signal. Connor helped Sarah stand up. "First, you should get checked out and make sure you're okay."

"No, there's no time. I need to get back to my brother."

"Listen, there's no telling how hurt you might be."

"Look, I just need to find Connor. This is my fault. He didn't want to go to Wonderland. He only went because of me," Sarah protested.

"Do you have pictures of your brother?"

She nodded, swinging her backpack around. She fumbled in a pocket for a moment. Out came a small leather wallet. Sarah held it open, letting Connor look at the plastic picture holders.

He took the wallet, staring at the senior pictures of both Sarah and her brother. There was a strong resemblance between himself and her twin. Very strong. The main difference was in another picture, which had Sarah and her brother sitting with their mother, a dark-haired woman with bright blue eyes, her brother wore a pair of glasses.

"How old is he?"

"Twenty," Sarah said. "I'm just a few minutes older."

Connor nodded, staring at his younger lookalike. "So these are from when you graduated high school?"

"The one of us with mum is from college."

"You already graduated college? At twenty?"

Sarah smiled. "Yeah, with honors. Connor's got dual degrees. Not me. I've only got the one Bachelor's. He's an overachiever."

Connor couldn't help but smile at that. Apparently his lookalike shared his brains. "What did he study?"

"Computer science and archeology."

"Why archeology?"

Sarah shrugged, taking her wallet back. "He always loved dinosaurs as a kid. He's even got a lizard and two little beaver-ish creatures."

"Beaver-ish? Like ratty, beavers?"

"How did you know?"

Connor cleared his throat. "Because I have two. They're _diictodons_."

"What?"

"_Diictodons_ are from the Permian era. That's about 299 to 251 million years ago."

"That's not possible!"

Connor sighed. "They came through an anomaly. In a hospital, here, in Britain. Two of them were left behind. We named them—"

"Sid and Nancy?"

"How did you know that?" he asked with a frown.

"That's what we named ours. Sid is Connor's and Nancy's mine. They have a nasty chewing habit and my mum can't stand them. But they get along with Connor's lizard."

"You have a lizard?"

"He's green and he can fly. His name is Rex."

Connor sank onto a bench. "Rex, Sid, and Nancy. How is that… that can't be possible, can it?"

"What's not possible?"

"Your pets… they're the same as mine."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Connor stumbled into the castle. The doors weren't guarded, which was odd given that the royal family lived there. He went straight into the main great hall where the ruler usually was during the day.

The throne was empty, the cushions faded and torn. In fact, most of the castle looked abandoned.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" he called, going from room to room.

Connor went down a long hallway, where portraits of past rulers hung. There were plaques with the rulers' names and years of rule. He glanced at each one, following the past to the more recent rulers.

He paused in front of the one of Jack Heart and the Duchess. Beside their picture hung one of Jack's son, Damon Heart. Connor looked at the dates of rule, expecting it to be less than a year.

Except there was no end. According to the plaque, Damon Heart still ruled Wonderland. There was no transfer of power to his mother. There was no mention of Alice Hatter either, the true ruler of Wonderland. The portrait of his mother was gone.

"Hello?" he shouted, hands cupped around his mouth.

_What's happening here? Damon's dead, right?_

The eldest son of Jack Heart had to be dead. Connor himself had pulled the trigger. He'd murdered Damon Heart after he shot Sarah.

_He can't be alive…_

Could he?

*~*~*~*~*~*

"The same?" Sarah echoed.

"Rex, Sid, and Nancy."

"A lizard and two beavers?"

Connor, the other Connor, nodded. "Yeah. Now, let's see if I can find you in the system. You're from New York, right?"

"Yeah, born and raised."

He led her over to a small laptop. He entered a password, accessing some kind of database. His fingers flew across the keyboard, much like her brother's did.

"Okay, in America, you have driver's licenses?"

"Are you kidding me? Hardly anyone in New York has one!"

"A passport?"

She shook her head. "Social Security cards, school IDs…"

"Social Security. Your numbers and your brother's."

Sarah closed her eyes, reciting her number. She stumbled over Connor's, but her brilliant brother could never remember his own number, so she'd been forced to learn both.

The other Connor typed wildly despite his damaged hands. If they hurt, he wasn't showing it. He scrolled through page after page of results. Writing flicked past on the screen so fast that Sarah couldn't read it.

"What were your parents' names again?" Connor asked.

"Alice Hamilton and David Hatter."

He kept going. "This is not good."

"What? What is it?"

She inched closer to the screen, trying to make out the lines of text.

"According to this, you don't exist."

"WHAT?!"

Connor turned around. "Alice Hamilton exists. So does David Hatter. But there's no record of them having any children together."

"So… someone messed up."

He shook his head. "Something happened today. Whatever you did, when you fell through the anomaly into the future, something changed. That change erased both you and your brother."

"That's not possible. I didn't do anything!"

"Look, I know this sounds crazy, but I do believe you. I believe that you are Sarah Hatter, not some future version of my daughter. There's only one other time that this happened."

"What happened?"

"Evolution was changed. One tiny event changes how humanity evolves. Some people are erased and others replace them. The last time it happened, a colleague of mine disappeared and my present changed. Later, we found her, but she was different. A new name and a subtle change in features and personality."

"Who was she?"

"Claudia Brown was her old name. Only two people in the world remembered her. One of them was my good friend, Nick Cutter. The other was Helen."

"Why only them?"

"They were on the other side of the anomaly. The change happened when they were over there. She only existed in their memories and in a picture Nick had of them. I believed him. I believe him when he called Jenny Lewis by her name. To him, I think Jenny was always Claudia."

Sarah sank to the ground. "If Claudia became Jenny, then what happened to me and Connor?"

"I don't know. I don't even know what changed."

"Helen. She brought me here. Maybe she changed something."

Connor nodded. "It's possible. That's why we're so careful with the anomalies. A slight change can do untold amounts of damage. What year is it… in New York?"

"2031."

"It's only 2010 here."

**Author's Notes:**

This chapter was a pain in the butt. There's two versions of it. I'm going to post the alternate versions of both this chapter and the last one in the 'Extras' for anyone curious to see what might have happened.

Any thoughts? Questions, comments? Please let me know!

Sorry this took so long to write! Enjoy!


	6. Chapter 5: Changed

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** Elements from SyFy's _Alice_ belong to SyFy and Nick Willing. Other bits belong to Lewis Carroll. Rex, Sid, Nancy, anomalies, Helen and other _Primeval_ bits belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures. I'm only responsible for Sarah, Connor, Damon, and Chase.

**Chapter Five: Changed**

At the Looking Glass Hall, Hatter found no Suits or operators. The entire building appeared to be deserted. Thick layers of dust coated the floors. Cobwebs filled other spaces as well. He blew several out of his face, swatting at the sticky webs in order to get further in the hall.

The Looking Glass had lost its shimmer.

Hatter pried open the box that usually contained the Stone of Wonderland. It was empty.

He cursed, slammed the box shut. It crumbled and broke at his touch.

He kicked the remains of the box as he stepped toward the mirror. He powered it on, playing with switches. There was still a tiny bit of juice remaining. It started the mirror with a whir.

Hatter touched the shimmering surface tentatively.

"Freeze!" another voice called.

He turned, seeing a few red-suited Suits with machine guns. They advanced toward him.

"Put your hands up, Hatter!" one of the men ordered.

Hatter followed their orders, raising his hands over his head. He took a step backward, his back almost brushing the mirror.

The group of Suits approached. There were eight of them and only one Hatter. He might like to play with the odds, but there was no way he was playing these. Not when his children were missing.

He touched his hat, tipping it to the Suits before falling backward through the mirror.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Alice pushed open the door to the Tea House. She couldn't hear anything. Usually Dormouse's snoring carried like a passing freight train. Even Ratty had his own noises, sometimes a mixture of squeaking sounds thanks to all his time spent down at the docks.

Dead silence was rare in Wonderland. It caused Alice to shiver.

"What's wrong?" the blond man at her side asked.

"I don't know. It just… it doesn't feel right."

Chase stepped in front of her without a word. Alice knew it was part chivalry, part concern for her safety—both as his queen and Sarah's mother—and a little bit of male bravado. She appreciated the small gesture even though she as more than capable of defending herself.

She followed him inside the deserted tea shop. They passed empty chairs. Alice took the lead, breaking into a run.

"Connor? Sarah?" she called.

The only time Ratty and Dormouse left their posts was when a Hatter was in the tea shop. Otherwise the two men stayed put, taking turns with Charlie. If they were gone, then Connor or Sarah had to be there.

She burst into Hatter's office. The grass had grown taller, brushing against her knees.

"Connor? Sarah? Where are you?"

Chase trekked across the grass toward the desk. "The mirror's gone…"

"What?"

He knelt down near where it usually stood. He held up a large piece of shattered glass. "Just like the other one."

"It broke? How is that possible? Where is Connor? Where is Sarah?"

Chase shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe it broke after they came through. Maybe before."

"Before? Then where are they?"

"No one knows what exactly lies between the Glass. No one who has ever been stuck out there has lived to tell. If they're stuck, I don't know what we can do."

Alice's brave face seemed to falter.

_Dead… no. They can't be. What about Dormie? And Ratty? Connor or Sarah had to be here. They had to be here…_

"Dormouse. We need to find Dormouse."

"What's he going to do?" Chase asked.

"He swore, along with Charlie and Ratty, to protect the tea shop for Hatter. At least one of them would always be on guard unless a Hatter told them otherwise. The only way they would leave their posts is if Sarah or Connor came through that mirror."

"Where would they go?"

"I don't know. We need to find Dormouse. Ratty isn't very coherent most of the time. Dormouse couldn't have gone far. He's probably asleep again."

While Alice was right about Dormouse not going far, she couldn't have predicted that both men, her last hope for information, were both shot dead in the Hatter's barn.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"2010? So I haven't even been born."

"Well, that's the other bit I forgot to mention…"

"What other bit?" Sarah asked.

"While I did find records of your parents, they weren't yet married. Carol Hamilton reported Alice missing in 2010 and so did David Hatter's work. They've been missing for months."

_Missing…no…_

"They went back to Wonderland in 2010. For Jack's, my mum's ex-boyfriend, wedding. It was so my dad could travel back and forth. But they were only gone a few days."

"I'm sorry…"

Sarah closed her eyes, trying to control her temper. "Help me, Connor. I need to get to New York. I need to go through the Looking Glass. Something's wrong. Unless I fix it… Connor and I won't exist. We're already fading. That's probably why I can't reach him."

"Wait… you think you're going to disappear?" Connor looked confused.

"If we don't… we're not going to be Hatters. Well, technically we'd still be Hatters… but our dad would be dead."

"How do you know?"

"Call it a gut instinct. Jack Heart tried to trick my mother into marrying him. He also tried to kill my dad. If he succeeds… Wonderland as we know it—as I know it—will vanish. If the Queen of Hearts comes back to power… everything will change. Even your anomalies."

A small device attached his belt started beeping.

"Speaking of anomalies, we've got one."

"What? Where?"

"Come with me," Connor Temple said, grabbing two guns. He tossed one to Sarah, who caught it with ease. He unbarricaded the door, slowly looking out into the hallway.

Sarah heard a sharp whistle.

"All clear. Let's go."

She followed, trusting this past version or alternate version of her brother. Maybe it was because he reminded her so much of Connor, her Connor, that she trusted him. Whatever the reason was, she was counting on him to help her get back to Wonderland before it was too late. If it wasn't already…

Sarah took a deep breath and followed him to a waiting truck.

**Author's Notes:**

Hah, two in a day! Go me!

Anyways, questions, comments, suggestions—let me know!


	7. Chapter 6: New Allies & Old Enemies

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** Elements from SyFy's _Alice_ belong to SyFy and Nick Willing. Other bits belong to Lewis Carroll. Rex, Sid, Nancy, anomalies, Helen and other _Primeval_ bits belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures. I'm only responsible for Sarah, Connor, Damon, and Chase.

**Chapter Six: New Allies & Old Enemies**

Mary Elizabeth Heart stood in the throne room of her new palace. After a short time in prison, she had been released by her son. Jack Heart was loyal to her still and he proved his loyalty when he lured both Alice Hamilton and the Mad Hatter back from her world.

Her plan to marry Alice to Jack worked without a hitch. Jack even managed to get rid of the Hatter. No one had seen or heard from him in almost thirty-five years.

However, they never considered how an Oyster would survive in Wonderland. Or at least survive childbirth.

Alice, her little puppet Queen, who she kept sedated through drugs and teas, died in childbirth close to seven months after marrying Jack. She went into premature labor with the twins. Jack's first and only children with Alice.

There was one girl and one boy. Alice lived long enough to name them. Jessica and Kyle Heart. Both the twins had Alice's dark hair, but their hair was a bit unruly compared to their mother's. Mary Elizabeth had her own thoughts about the twins' heritage, especially as the boy got older. He took after the missing Mad Hatter a bit too much.

Not that it mattered. Alice's children were long gone. Jack had remarried shortly after Alice's death to the Duchess. She presented him with two blond sons—Damon and Chase. They were the heirs to the throne of Wonderland. In fact, Damon had already ascended to the throne on his twentieth birthday.

It was on his twentieth birthday that Damon disowned his half-siblings, denouncing them and banishing the twins from the palace. Back then they'd still lived at Heart Castle, which Damon mostly destroyed as he threw them out.

He was a powder keg, her grandson. He was a true Heart. She was proud to have him on the throne.

Damon's first fifteen years met little resistance. Dodo perished in a raid, one that also destroyed what remained of the Great Library, and killed several others. Hunting down those scattered members of the resistance took a lot of Damon's focus.

He had just recently ordered the execution of the Dormouse and the Ratcatcher, two old allies of the Mad Hatter's. They kept watch over the tea shop for him, despite the fact that it was rundown and abandoned. Even to this day, they remained loyal to the Hatter, and more frighteningly, to his lover's children.

Jessica and Kyle disappeared in Wonderland with little more than the clothes on their backs. There was a rumor that Kyle was organizing a resistance to take down his half-brother. His sister was reportedly dead, though no one had discovered her body, or that of the Hatter's.

Only Chase seemed to care about his half-siblings. Jack didn't mind that Alice's children were gone. He had a son on the throne and another son waiting in line. He had a gorgeous wife on his arm, or at least he had until a Scarab crash killed them both shortly before Damon took the throne.

Before their tragic deaths, Jack had already begun the arrangements for Damon's coronation after naming him his heir instead of Kyle or Jessica. He'd stripped the twins of their titles, removing them from the Heart line. Damon finished what his father started.

"Your Majesty," a Suit said, sweeping into the throne room.

"What is it?"

"Sources say that the Mad Hatter has returned to Wonderland. He's been seen twice today—once at the Looking Glass Hall and another time crossing toward the old palace."

"The Looking Glass Hall?"

"Yes, ma'am. He apparently dove through the mirror when confronted.

"The Looking Glass hasn't worked properly in ages. What the devil was he doing there?"

"No one knows, Your Majesty."

She glared at the Suit. "Find out, or it will be your head!"

The Suit nodded, backing away quickly. She might no longer be the official Queen of Wonderland, but she was still a very powerful person and her grandson listened to her. He had inherited her temper and thirst for blood.

Mary Elizabeth Heart smiled as she sank onto the throne. She had her own throne chair beside Damon's, but she still preferred the highest chair—a chair fit for a King or Queen. She missed having power over all of Wonderland. She missed the old days before the Looking Glass broke.

Tea had become a rarity since the Glass began to malfunction. The Stone of Wonderland had vanished, the Glass behaved erratically—sometimes bringing Oysters through without the Stone to power it—and other times not functioning at all.

The few Oysters that still remained were carefully monitored in order to get the most out of them. The price of Tea jumped dramatically with the lack of Oysters. Only a few royal houses had access to Tea now. The Hatter would have done well in this economy had he not taken up with Alice Hamilton.

She sighed, enjoying her throne. In another hour or two, Damon would take his seat on the throne and began the day's business. Until then, she would recline, while images of dead Wonderland rebels danced in her head.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"We have to find Connor and Sarah. Now!" Alice cried, still staring at the bodies of her husband's only allies.

Chase touched her arm. "I'm sure they're fine. They're not lying here dead, now, are they?"

She shook her head. "Oh God… what if they've been taken? To be executed?"

"I don't think so. Damon's long gone. I'm sure my mother and her successor wouldn't resort to the old ways…"

"Chase, does this look like the Wonderland your parents and I fought for? Does this look like the Wonderland you knew as a child?"

"Wonderland is always changing—"

"This time it's for the worst. I've never seen it look this bad. And somewhere out there are my kids. My only kids, Chase. If you ever cared for Sarah, you will help me find her."

Chase swallowed. "I still care for Sarah. That never changed."

"We need to find her and Connor before something happens. Promise me, Chase. Promise me if anything happens you will get them back home."

"Nothing's going to—"

"Promise me, Chase. I need to know they'll be safe."

He nodded. "I promise, Mrs. Hatter. I'll do whatever it takes to get them back home."

She gave him a thin smile. "Thank you…"

*~*~*~*~*~*

Back in London, Connor Temple drove one of the silver trucks, with Sarah in the passenger's seat, and his two friends from earlier in the back. Another truck followed behind them.

"Did you pack the closing device?" Connor asked one of his friends, the darker-skinned woman.

"Of course. I never bothered to unload it from the truck after the last anomaly."

"Thanks, Sarah… oh, this isn't gonna work."

Sarah Hatter stared at this older version of her geeky brother. "If you call me Jess, I might have to smack you."

"Who's Jess?"

"My middle name."

Connor nodded, going around a corner. "I guess we'll just keep calling you Sarah and Sarah Page will just be Dr. Page. Dr. Page is an expert in Egyptology. She's been helping us figure out how long anomalies have been opening and whether or not mythical creatures were real."

Sarah turned around and shook hands with Dr. Sarah Page. "Wow, that sounds like something my brother would do."

"Where is your brother?" the man beside Dr. Page asked.

"My brother, Conn, is missing. We got separated. I guess I fell through an anomaly and he didn't."

"Sarah, meet action man… Captain Becker."

Sarah shook his hand. "Nice to meet you… action man."

"You can call me Becker."

"Okay… so where are we going?"

"To close an anomaly," Connor said.

"Then why do we all have guns?"

"Sometimes creatures come through, and they aren't as nice as Sid and Nancy or Rex. Trust me, raptors don't make good pets."

Sarah smiled to herself. _Try convincing my brother of that… he loves all dinosaurs._

Connor put the truck in park. "Here we go."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Helen Cutter walked into the throne room. It was painted in red, one of her favorite colors.

She walked straight up the podium to where a heavyset woman and young blond man sat on separate chairs. They each looked vaguely bored.

"Well?" the Queen of Hearts asked.

"The girl is stranded in the future. The boy is gone. Neither one of them will be a problem. In fact, your Looking Glass should be working soon. All I need to do is take care of one little nerd…"

"Excellent," Mary Elizabeth Heart said with a cruel smile.

Helen Cutter smiled back. Humanity would end up in this… Wonderland, leave her world, her future to the animals and evolution. There would be no future Predators. Instead, she would have the world to herself. She just needed to finish off what remained of her late husband's team and restore the mirror-based anomaly opener.

She knew just the man for the task. He just needed a little convincing.

Luckily, Helen knew just how to be convincing.

**Author's Notes:**

How's that for a twister? In case you're wondering why Helen would work with the Queen, just remember her partnership with Leek for a moment. But Helen is still in control and she's got big plans for some of our heroes.

What does everyone think about the timeline changes—this alternate Wonderland of sorts? Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please let me know!


	8. Chapter 7: Ambush

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** Elements from SyFy's _Alice_ belong to SyFy and Nick Willing. Other bits belong to Lewis Carroll. Rex, Sid, Nancy, anomalies, Helen and other _Primeval_ bits belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures. I'm only responsible for Sarah, Connor, Damon, and Chase.

**Chapter Seven: Ambush **

Helen Cutter watched as the remains of Nick Cutter's team came together. Connor Temple was almost the ringleader of the rag-tag bunch even though Danny, a former cop, was technically in charge. Not that it mattered since all of the team was there at the anomaly site.

Dr. Sarah Page, Captain Becker, Danny Quinn, Abby Maitland-Temple, Connor Temple, and the newest recruit, Sarah Hatter.

Dr. Page began setting up equipment as Conner greeted his wife. Sarah stayed a few steps back, still clutching a gun.

Helen smiled as she set up her rifle. She looked through the scope, aiming for center mass of a particular team member. The target had her back to Helen.

She pulled the trigger and blood blossomed on the target's back.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Connor had his arms around his wife. "You shouldn't have come."

"Sarah's fine. I've got Jenny watching her."

"Abby, really, you need to go. Helen's back."

"What?"

The blonde looked at him. "Are you sure it's her?"

Connor nodded solemnly. "She's back and she's up to something. And Sarah…not our Sarah or Dr. Page…another Sarah is stuck in the middle of it. She's from the future."

"The future? You mean…"

"She fell into that future, but no, she's only from 2031."

"Only?"

Connor sighed, holding his wife's hands. "Abbs, she could almost be Sarah. She says that I look just like her brother and father."

"It's a trap. Helen's setting a trap."

"Sarah's telling the truth. Helen already tried to put a bullet in her head."

Abby shook her head. "This is getting too dangerous, Conn. Come home with me. Let the back-up team handle this one."

"I can't. I promised to get her back home. To her family."

"If Helen's involved, what makes you think she even has a family to go back to?"

Connor's mouth hung open for a moment. He hadn't thought of that possibility. When dealing with Helen, anything was possible. Helen was a ruthless bitch. She'd proved it by cold-bloodedly murdering her estranged husband.

"I don't know…"

"Let's just go. Get in the truck and go…" Abby suggested, taking his hand.

He hesitated, staring at the dark-haired girl in the middle of the group. She looked lost and out of place. "I can't."

"Conn—"

A muffled pop cut off Abby.

"Abbs? Abby?"

He reached out to grab his wife as she collapsed. He could feel the warm blood on her back.

"Abby!"

Another gunshot rang out.

"Get down!" Becker shouted.

Connor sank to the ground, holding his wife. Abby's eyes were wide in pain.

"Abby?" he whispered.

"Helen…" she gasped. "Helen…"

"I'll kill the bitch."

"Conn… I… I…"

Bang!

Another splash of red as a bullet entered Abby's chest. Connor let out a scream that was part pain and part anger. It was almost like a roar.

"Connor… get in the truck!" Danny shouted in his ear.

He couldn't move. He just looked at Abby's lifeless body in his arms. They'd been through so much—even surviving several years trapped in the past. Years during which their daughter was born and named for a colleague they doubted they'd ever see again.

Connor was yanked up from the ground. He didn't protest as he was forcibly dragged from Abby.

"She's gone, Conn. She's gone…" one of his friends said.

He didn't notice. He was numb. Completely numb.

*~*~*~*~*~*

A world away, Connor Hatter wandered the ruins of Heart Castle.

He left the confines of the ruins to wander the land surrounding it. On his way to one of the stables, he caught sight of a small graveyard. Curiosity got the better of him and he walked into the crumbling cemetery. There were some statues and large slabs of marble.

He read some of the stones.

Every stone mentioned the Hearts. It was a royal graveyard.

Connor moved forward in time, heading toward the back of the graveyard. He froze when he saw a marble figure that looked vaguely familiar.

_Mum?_

He walked slowly, his heart pounding in his throat. He knelt beside the statue, reading the tiny plaque. He brushed the dead leaves away, revealing the tiny etching.

_Alice of Legend, the Queen of Hearts._

His mother.

Connor fell back, tripping over a root.

"No… no…"

His mother wasn't the Queen of Hearts. She was the Queen of Wonderland. The Duchess had been named the Queen of Hearts. Besides, why would there be a statue of her in the graveyard unless…

Connor stumbled to his feet. He had to find out. He had to know.

Three headstones later he collapsed at the foot of his mother's grave.

_Alice of Legend_

_ Born in New York_

_ Queen of Hearts from 4021 to 4022_

_ Beloved wife of Jack Heart and mother of Jessica and Kyle Heart_

*~*~*~*~*~*

With a groan, David Hatter stood up. Landings always hurt, especially when one wasn't prepared. He certainly hadn't intended to jump through the Looking Glass. Not that he had a choice.

He looked up, watching the shimmer disappear from the Glass.

"No!"

His hand hit the Glass. It didn't go through.

"No! No!"

His right fist went through the portal, shattering it as he screamed in rage.

David Hatter was stranded and he didn't even know where or when he was. His only way home to Wonderland, to his wife, to his family, was gone.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Sarah stood in stunned disbelief as the blonde in Connor's arms turned red with blood. She barely registered the gunshots.

"Get down!" Becker shouted, shoving her face-first into the dirt.

She didn't stay down long. As soon as his hand left her back, Sarah was up and crawling toward Connor.

"I said 'get down'!" Becker hissed, scooping her up.

Sarah dangled over his shoulder, resisting the urge to fight him. He dumped her in the truck, closing the door on her.

She sat up, looking out the window to where her brother's mirror image sat.

He wasn't moving. He was screaming.

Sarah yanked on the door handle, instincts telling her to help him. The door didn't budge. It was locked.

She banged on the glass, trying to break out of the truck.

All she got was a bullet for her trouble. It just missed her, sailing through the glass and grazing her skull. She cried out in pain, blood trickling down her forehead and into her eyes.

An unfamiliar man wearing a stocking cap appeared in the broken window. He wretched the truck's door open and dragged Sarah out by her arm. He was dressed in all black like Becker. He looked like a military man.

Sarah relaxed, thinking he was on her side.

She was wrong.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Danny dragged Connor back to the truck. Becker was waiting there.

"Abby…" he mumbled.

"She's gone, Connor. She's gone."

He climbed into the backseat with a push from Danny. The door shut. He could hear the engine rumble to life as Danny took the wheel, Becker literally riding shotgun.

"Sarah?"

He looked in the seat beside him. It was covered in particles of glass and drops of blood. There was no sign of either Sarah.

"Becker, where's Sarah?"

"You mean Dr. Page?" the military man asked as he chambered a bullet.

"Both."

"Dr. Page is dead. Helen shot her."

Connor froze. That was two members of the team gone. Helen had murdered two more people he cared about. The bitch murdered his wife and his friend.

_I'll kill you. _

"What about… Sarah?" he asked, still in a daze.

"She's gone."

Gone.

Suddenly the blood in the backseat made sense. Sarah… this was Sarah's blood. Not Dr. Page. This was Sarah Hatter. She'd been hurt.

"Helen took her," he stated, his voice flat and void of emotion. "Helen took her and killed Abby."

_Fucking bitch…_

**Author's Notes:**

Connor's in shock (well, both Connors are, actually) which is why he seems so numb and OOC. Having someone you love die in your arms suddenly, that's a big shock.

As for the years on Alice's grave… I just made up random numbers. She ruled for almost a year before dying giving birth to the twins. Wonderland years aren't the same as Oyster years—at least in this story.

I expect some readers probably want to kill me now for this chapter. All I can say is… it's Helen's fault. And the former Queen of Hearts. They did it—it was their idea. I just typed it. Just sayin'.

Anyways, please keep the reviews coming! Questions, thoughts, comments, etc.


	9. Chapter 8: The Kingdom of the Knights

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** Elements from SyFy's _Alice_ belong to SyFy and Nick Willing. Other bits belong to Lewis Carroll. Rex, Sid, Nancy, anomalies, Helen and other _Primeval_ bits belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures. I'm only responsible for Sarah, Connor, Damon, and Chase.

**Chapter Eight: The Kingdom of the Knights **

The only sound in this part of Wonderland came from the animals. The kingdom of the knights had long ago fallen into ruin. No one came near this part of Wonderland anymore. Not since Alice of Legend died and the White Knight disappeared into the woods, presumably dead.

Only he haunted these quiet woods. He slept in an old wrought iron bed, using blankets he'd found, made, and bought. Most of his food came from the forest as well. He used fires to stay warm on chilly winter nights.

His plan was to rebuild the kingdom. He did it bit-by-bit over his fifteen year banishment. Within five years he had an enclosed bedroom and a fire pit inside. It kept the rain and wind out. Finding proper building materials and learning how to use said materials took a bit of time. His first attempt at an enclosure failed miserably when it faced the first rainfall. It collapsed on top of him during the storm.

After that, he learned from his mistakes. It took time, but now he was able to build a solid home. It was his home away from home—a safe place to put his head down at night—and just far enough away from other people that he could chose when he wanted to see people and when he wanted to be left alone.

Kyle Heart lay wide awake one night in his room around the time the Hatter family was split up. The ruined castle had slowly turned into a miniature remodel. He had a kitchen area, a living area, and a dining area. There was even a designated bathroom and his bedroom. He planned to expand to a second level in the spring.

He couldn't shake a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.

He had spent fifteen years hiding in the forest from his half-brothers and their minions. He left food out for the Jabberwock, using the creature as a guard dog of sorts. The old creature didn't seem to mind.

Kyle had not heard from or seen his twin sister since at least ten years ago. They were in their thirties now, if Jessica was still alive.

Of course, the rumors that he heard when he left his hiding place all said that his twin was dead. Deep inside, he knew she was alive. He just knew.

As Damon's rule expanded, Kyle both heard and saw his half-brother's work firsthand. He heard stories of the Suits wiping out entire villages. He saw the bodies of well-known Resistance fighters displayed as a warning to those seeking to end Damon Heart's rule. He heard the rumors of torture that befell those who angered the new king.

He also heard the whispers of rebellion.

By the time Kyle had been banished for fifteen years, he had begun to spend more time listening to the rumors and planning how best to bring down his half-brother. While he no longer had a valid claim to the throne, Kyle could only hope that Chase hadn't changed during the past decade and a half. If Chase could take the throne, Wonderland might be able to recover.

His mother had brought down the Hearts before. Surely he could do the same.

*~*~*~*~*~*

After a long conversation, Chase managed to convince Alice to stay in the tea shop overnight. They had no idea what horrors lay ahead of them and where they could next find safety.

In the end, Alice slept curled up on a stained couch, wrapped in a blanket and one of her husband's coats. Chase kept watch from a chair.

_Sarah… please be safe. Please…_

Knowing the Hatters' daughter, wherever she was, Sarah was mostly likely wrecking havoc. He could only pray that she was in Wonderland and not stuck somewhere in between, hovering, for the rest of her life.

Chase closed his eyes, allowing a memory of Sarah to soothe his nerves.

_It was summer in New York. Sarah wore a sundress and flat shoes. Knowing her, she probably wore shorts underneath her dress. No matter what, she wasn't as girly as she could be. She rarely wore make-up. He kind of liked her natural look. It suited her._

_ They lay underneath a tree in Central Park. She curled up next to him, her body resting on his._

_ "Do you miss Wonderland?" she asked._

_ "A bit."_

_ "Why don't you go back? You don't have to stay here, ya know."_

_ "Because my life is here now. I don't want to rule Wonderland. I don't want that kind of pressure. Not to mention that everyone would always tip-toe around me, thinking I might be like my grandmother or my brother. That's not a life."_

_ "You want to work in the tea shop the rest of your life?"_

_ He looked down at her. "Not exactly. One day I want to marry you."_

_ Sarah sat up, turning around to face him. "You do? Why?"_

_ "Ever since you basically dropped into my life, I knew I wanted you in my life. You're brave and smart… and you're beautiful."_

_ "But why me?"_

_ "Why not?" he challenged._

_ That seemed to satisfy her curiosity. She shifted, lying against him once more. _

_ "What if I wanted to live in Wonderland?"_

_ "Then we'd live in Wonderland."_

_ Sarah nodded, her head rubbing against his chest. She fell asleep like that, content as a cat, underneath the shade of a tree. _

*~*~*~*~*~*

Sarah woke up in plastic flex-cuffs. She groaned; shifting in the chair she'd been strapped to. Her wrists were hooked together, her arms wound through the back of the chair. There was another plastic strap hooking her wrists to the chair.

"Look who's finally awake…" a female voice called.

She blinked her eyes as Helen's face came into view.

"What did you do?" Sarah demanded, her head throbbing.

"To you? Nothing."

"Where's Connor?"

"I don't know. Wherever he went, he's probably bawling like the little child he is."

"What did you do?"

Helen smiled at the young woman. "I killed his precious wife and one of his friends. I would have killed the other two, but I missed. Not that it matters, since I know he'll do what I ask now."

"Why would he?"

"Because he cares about you. More importantly, he cares about his little baby girl. And you are going to help me get her."

"Never."

A gun barrel touched her sore head. Sarah flinched. "Never say 'never', you stupid, stupid girl. You can do more than you give yourself credit. You see, not even the high-and-mighty Jenny Lewis will resist handing over little Sarah when she sees you. If you try to run, I'll kill her. Simple as that."

"But you'll still kill me."

"Perhaps. It depends on how much Connor cooperates."

Sarah closed her eyes, willing her brother's lookalike to ignore Helen. To fight to fix things, not fight to save her. Not at this point. Not when his friends were dying all around him.

"Don't worry… we'll give him a chance. I'm not just going to kill you when he says 'no'."

Helen's words were anything but reassuring.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Connor sat in silence during the car ride. He alternated looking out the windows of the truck and staring at the empty seat beside him. The seat stained with Sarah's blood.

In the front seat, Danny's mobile rang.

He answered it with one hand, the other holding the truck steady on the road. "Quinn speaking."

"Put Connor on the phone."

His jaw tightened. "No. Haven't you done enough today?"

Helen laughed on the other end. "I haven't even started. Tell Connor if he wants to see his daughter again, or little lost Sarah Hatter, he'll solve a problem for me."

"What kind of problem?" Danny asked, trying not to look in the mirror at his friend.

"With an anomaly."

"He won't do it."

"Too bad. I guess I will start the older one first…"

Danny heard a slight scuffle on the other end. Then a hiss of pain—not quite a cry—from a female. "Let go of me!" Sarah called.

There was a sound of flesh hitting flesh. "Tell Connor to call me. He's got, perhaps, two hours before this one is Predator bait."

The phone clicked dead in Danny's hand.

Becker looked over at him. "Helen?" he asked softly.

Danny nodded. "Yeah. Wants to talk to 'im."

"No. No way."

"She's got Sarah. Both Sarahs."

"You're joking."

"I wish." Danny glanced in the mirror at their listless companion. "Telling him isn't going to go well. Not after Abby…"

"He has a right to know."

"Helen could be lying."

"If she's not…" Becker warned.

"Then we'll deal with it later. Right now… he doesn't need the stress."

Becker eyed his colleague, then looked at the silent man in the backseat. "Fine. We give it a few hours. Then I'm telling him."

Danny shrugged.

**Author's Notes:**

Not too sure about this chapter. Anyways, I'm outta town till next week and I have limited net access. So it'd really mean a lot to me to see lots of reviews waiting for me when I log on. Please, let me know what you think! :)


	10. Chapter 9: Doubled Up

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I only own the original characters and my plot – SyFy's _Alice_ and related plotlines belong to Nick Willing and SyFy and other bits to Lewis Carroll. The creatures and characters of _Primeval_ belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures. Not moi.

**Chapter Nine: Doubled Up**

A dark-haired little girl sat on the floor of an expansive flat. There were several windows, high ceilings, and other oddities inside the flat, not to mention the glass aquarium tanks filled with lizards. She played with two small creatures about her size, _Diictodons_ who responded to the monikers of Sid and Nancy.

Little Sarah Temple had her father's thirst for knowledge and her mother's love of all creatures—even extinct ones. Rex watched the three from above.

Jenny Lewis sighed, blowing a tuft of dark hair out of her eyes. Caring for Connor and Abby's daughter was rough. They had spent several years stuck in the past—years during which Sarah was conceived and born. When the happy family returned, Sarah was already eighteen months old.

Sarah celebrated her second birthday in the ARC with her parents' co-workers.

_"Recruiting them a little young now?" Lester grumbled, seeing the little girl bouncing on Connor's lap._

_"Don't worry, luv. Uncle Lester is just an ole sour puss…" he cooed to his daughter._

_"Uncle Lester?" The man in charge of the ARC looked horrified at the nickname. But he wasn't the only honorary uncle—Captain Becker and Danny Quinn were among the others and Sarah Page and Jenny were honorary aunts._

_Lester grumbled something about "raptors" and "bait" under his breath before stalking off to his office. Jenny had taken Sarah then, giving Connor a chance to do some work. It had been his idea to invite her back into the fold. And it was also his idea to have her be Sarah's babysitter._

Which was why the former Public Relations manager found herself curled up on the floor across from the Temples' toddler daughter and her two furry playmates.

Most normal babysitters would have run the other way at the sight of Sid and Nancy—not to mention Rex and the other assorted lizards that Abby owned. As long as it wasn't a real monster, Jenny didn't mind it. Like most of the ARC team, she had a soft spot for the stranded _Diictodons_.

Then again, most normal toddlers wouldn't have played with them to begin with. Sarah Temple was far from the average toddler.

Jenny smiled at the young girl as the flat's doorbell rang.

"Keep playing, sweetie. I'll be back in a minute."

She stood up, brushing imaginary dirt off her trousers as she walked over to the stairs. She wound down them to the front door.

"Who is it?" she called.

"It's me. Sarah," a young voice said.

Jenny cracked the door. "Dr. Page?"

The chain stayed on. The girl on the other side didn't seem to mind. And she wasn't the friendly Egyptologist that Jenny had worked with in the past. This was someone new—someone who reminded her strongly of Connor Temple and the little girl playing upstairs with prehistoric creatures.

"No, it's Sarah… Sarah Temple. I'm trying to reach my dad. Something's wrong…"

Jenny stared at her. This was Connor's daughter? All grown up?

"Sarah? But you're…"

"I know. Listen, Jenny, can I come in? My mobile didn't survive the anomaly."

Without a bit of hesitation, Jenny Lewis unchained the door to the flat, allowing access to the older version of Connor's daughter. "Sure. Come on up."

But that was before a tranquilizer dart struck her squarely in the back.

* * *

_Jack Heart?_

He let his hand brush against the cool marble of the headstone. Surely it was a trick of the light…there was no way… right?

His mother never married Jack. She never would. She loved David Hatter more than anything. There was no way she would forsake him for Hatter, let alone have children with the blond prick.

Connor Hatter's blood went cold. The children had to be him and Sarah. Those were their middle names etched on the stone. What did that mean? What the hell had happened in Wonderland?

What had happened to his family?

* * *

Hours later, the Hatter found himself wandering the busy streets of an unfamiliar city. There was a gray cast to the city, much like the smog of New York City, except there was a distinct lack of skyscrapers and yellow taxi cabs. The cars here were smaller—like little tin boxes on wheels—and the people sounded, well, like him.

This had to be the "England" that Alice spoke of—the place they told Oysters he came from.

"Oi! Connor!"

His head snapped up, responding to his son's name. Could Connor have been stranded here as well.

"We've been looking everywhere for you, mate. Why didn't you answer your mobile?" a man said, approaching him.

"I'm… I'm sorry?" Hatter tried.

"Don't worry about it. Let's just go before Cutter calls again."

_Cutter? What's a 'Cutter'? And why would he call?_

"Uh, okay."

He went along with this strange man, who seemed to know him, or at least know his son. If there was one thing that living in Alice's world had taught him, it was how to keep a low profile.

**Author's Notes:**

I know, it's just a quickie, but please, comment. I'm back in town now, but I'm gearing up for a month of exams, so updates will be a bit scattered. I'm trying to get a new chapter for each of my stories before my first exam, but we'll see.

Please, please review! Which ARC team member collected Hatter? Any guesses? :)


	11. Chapter 10: Destined to Die

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Alice_ – no rights, no claims, nada – it belongs to SyFy and Nick Willing. Rex, Sid, and Nancy belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures. Sarah, Connor, Damon, and Chase are my own creations.

**Chapter Ten: Destined to Die**

Dawn broke just before Alice and Chase set out. They'd both had a restless night thanks to their uncomfortable sleeping spots and their worried minds. It was silent in the tea shop as they straightened their clothes, ironed out the kinks in their muscles, and prepared for a long day of walking.

Alice still wore one of Hatter's discarded coats. Chase pretended not to notice as they stepped out into the dew-dampened grass of the city.

"Where would Connor go?" Chase asked about an hour into their hike.

They reached the top of a slight hill, panting. "If he made it to the shop… he'd head for the palace. He'd head for people."

"Not the Looking Glass?"

Alice shook her head. "Not Connor. Sarah would if she was with him. Connor hates the Looking Glass. There's no way he'd seek it out. He'd want to find help first."

"He knows how to get to the palace on his own?" Chase asked, surprised. Connor's navigational skills were a bit of a joke—or at least they had been before college.

"I don't know. I think he'd try. He has a better shot of finding the palace than most anything else in Wonderland."

Chase nodded. To Connor, Wonderland was a mystery. He had never explored the lands the way his sister did. Sarah knew Wonderland better than most after five years of traveling back-and-forth. She could find her way around Wonderland with minimal fuss. Connor couldn't find his way out of a paper bag—or at least that's what Sarah always said.

The mere thought of his missing ex-girlfriend hurt. Sarah was the unmentionable space between him and Alice. Connor had to be alive—the vomit in front of the barn told them that someone had been sick at the sight of Dormouse and Ratcatcher's bodies—since he was the most likely candidate to lose his lunch.

If Sarah made it to Wonderland, she would have left some sign. She would have left behind a clue—a note, a piece of hair—something to indicate to others that she was alive. She also wouldn't have left the tea shop without doing that. He had to believe that.

Chase sighed as they headed toward his old home. He hated the palace. It reminded him too much of the past—of what his family had done. Of who he was.

In New York, he was just another nameless, faceless person in the crowd. In Wonderland, he was a crown prince. He was known by everyone in the land. Mothers wanted to fix him up with their daughters, sons wanted to be him, and everyone else wanted to befriend him in hopes of good fortune shining on them.

He couldn't leave the palace without a guard or without being recognized. In New York, he wasn't a prince. No one gave a damn.

It was freeing. Now that he was back in Wonderland, Chase felt the familiar weight of his destiny on his shoulders.

_"I will give you a few more months for this… fling with the Oysters, then I want you home. You are a Heart, Chase. You are the last of the line. I know you threw a hissy fit about abdicating all that time ago, but really, that's impossible. You are the heir of Wonderland. Unless someone of Liddell blood claims the throne, you will have to rule in my stead," Duchess explained on his last solo visit home._

_"I don't want—"_

_"It's your destiny, Chase. You will be a great king. Your father wanted this for you…"_

_"Really? Was that before or after he was executed?" Chase snapped._

_"Chase Charles Winston Heart! How dare you?!"_

_He glared at his mother. She looked older than he remembered, but still quite capable of ruling. She was as sharp as a cut diamond, much like the rest of her family._

_"I refuse to take the throne. Give it to Sarah Hatter. She wants to be here."_

_"Oh? What happened to you and the princess? I thought you were engaged…"_

_"No, it's over. It's been over. We're too different," Chase explained, still on edge. "It never would've worked."_

_"That's a shame. She was such a nice girl…"_

_"Let her take the throne, Mother. I don't want it."_

_He turned his back on her, heading toward the door of the throne room. _

_"You can't run from your destiny, Chase! You are going to be King!"_

He didn't want to be the King of Hearts. He just wanted to live a simple life in New York City. He wanted to work in the tea shop, perhaps even go to college himself, and buy his own place. He had no ambition to move back to Wonderland. Those dreams died when Sarah pulled away from him.

Chase only tolerated Wonderland for her. He wanted no part in the strange world he'd been born to. It wasn't for him.

Sarah wanted that world. She rebelled against normalcy. She wanted to live in Wonderland like her father had. She wanted to be a Hatter and maybe one day Queen of Wonderland. She wanted an adventurous life.

Not Chase. He wanted to settle down.

So far, neither of their plans seemed to work. He was back in Wonderland, against his will, hunting for the one woman he loved—the one woman he couldn't seem to keep—and her missing brother.

_You owe me, Sarah…_

* * *

Over two decades in the past, David Hatter couldn't keep his mind off his absent daughter.

_"Jabberwock, who was that sneakin' down the fire escape?" he asked his little girl. She might be in her twenties, but she was still his baby._

_Her hair was a mess, her clothes wrinkled, and her sheets rumpled. He wrinkled his nose._

_"Huh?"_

_"Don't play games with me, luv. Was that Chase?"_

_"No… God, no! Da!"_

_He sat on the edge of her bed. "Who was it then?"_

_"No one—God, why do you have to be so nosy?"_

_"Sarah Jessica Hatter… tell me the truth. Who was in here? Don't lie. I know you had someone up here."_

_"Ummm nooo."_

_"Sarah—"_

_"David!" she shot back._

_He narrowed his brown eyes at her. She just glared back._

_"Are you okay, Jabberwock? You seem… outta sorts lately."_

_"It's nothing…"_

_"Sarah, luv… you can tell me anything."_

_"There's nothing to tell."_

_He sighed. He could tell she was hurt—it showed in her eyes—and he knew she wasn't about to tell him about it. She might later tell Connor, but not at the moment. At the moment, she just wanted to be alone._

_"Good night, my little Jabberwock," he said softly, kissing her forehead. He tried to ignore the scent of sweat that hung in the air. He didn't like just anyone being near his daughter—let alone in her bed—yet Hatter knew how helpless he was. Sarah could keep her out of her life. She could move out if she wanted._

_That he didn't want._

_"Night, Da," she whispered back. "Don't let the bandersnatch bite…"_

He wished he had asked more questions. Letting her go away to college, even if it had only be a few hours away, had been stupid. He should have kept her closer. Smothered her. Perhaps she'd still be at home now, tormenting Connor and playing with Nancy. Anything.

Anything that meant she was safe and sound.

He sighed, climbing into a silver truck aside the stranger who'd picked him up. _Stay out of trouble, Jabberwock. Daddy's looking for you…_

* * *

Fifteen years ago, his coup for control of Wonderland was successful. A few drops of tea mixed with poison in his parents' wine ended their rule. Jack and Duchess Heart were insane for a few days before their hearts gave out.

Not that Damon cared. He had the kingdom—he had the power he'd longed for. The power his father had planned to give to his half-siblings.

But Damon Heart knew the truth about Jessica and Kyle. His grandmother told him that they weren't even Hearts.

The dark-haired twins were bastards. They had no claim to the throne and not a single drop of Heart blood. They were the result of Alice Heart's previous relationship with the Mad Hatter. His clueless father assumed they were his.

That's why Damon's first step as King of Wonderland was to strip Jessica and Kyle of their titles and banish them from the palace.

Kyle ran like the scared dog he was. Only Jessica refused. She stood up to him. He hated that—especially since there were several vocal Wonderlanders who wanted Alice's children on the throne. He couldn't risk her leading a rebellion.

When she showed up in his chambers alone three nights after her banishment, he seized the opportunity to get rid of her.

Jessica never stood a chance. He beat her to death with his bare hands.

One of his loyal Clubs dumped her body. They were the only people in Wonderland who knew what happened to her. Everyone else assumed she was in hiding like her cowardly brother. Damon encouraged the lie.

And now, fifteen years later, his throne was in jeopardy once again.

This time, it was a blonde woman. She had flirted with him at a dinner party, but refused to go to bed with him. She claimed to be a distant relative of his mother, the Duchess of Diamonds. A second cousin or so.

Her name was Ana. And if she was from the Diamond family, she might have a claim to his throne. Especially since his younger brother seemed smitten with her.

Damon Heart wasn't about to let some blonde temptress take away the throne he'd worked so hard to get. He would kill her first, just like he disposed of Jessica. Just like he planned on killing Kyle, should the coward show his face.

He was the King of Wonderland and no one would take that from him.

**Author's Notes:**

Ana means "one who will be reborn"… just sayin'…

Since this chapter focused mostly on Wonderland, the next chapter will be back to the past where Helen is causing trouble.

Please, please review! Thanks for reading!

**EDIT:** I had no idea my formatting breaks weren't showing up. Yikes!


	12. Chapter 11: Past Problems

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Alice_ – no rights, no claims, nada – it belongs to SyFy and Nick Willing. Rex, Sid, and Nancy belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures. Sarah, Connor, Damon, and Chase are my own creations.

**Chapter Eleven: Past Problems**

Helen Cutter entered the flat, her pointed boots clicking as she stepped over the unconscious form inside the door. The dark-haired woman didn't stir, even when Helen pressed her heel into her back for a moment.

A few steps back, Sarah Hatter stood with two of Helen's men. Each had a firm grip on her arms.

"Kill her and take her to the ARC," Helen ordered, staring at Jenny Lewis.

A third man scooped up the former PR manager, heading back to the van they'd arrived in.

Helen's cold gaze fell on Sarah. "Take that one with you. If any of the ARC team give you trouble, shoot her. They'll leave you alone—especially Temple. Just don't kill her. We might still need her."

The two men nodded, tightening their hold on Sarah.

Sarah felt the anger, the Madness, she'd inherited from her father building inside her. She lunged toward Helen, breaking free of the soldiers' hold. Her freedom didn't last long—not when two tasers went off at the same time, bringing her down in a heap.

* * *

Danny pulled the truck to a stop in front of a safe house. Becker shook Connor out of his stupor. The tech geek jumped in his seat.

"Abby?" he mumbled.

"No, Connor, it's Becker…"

"Where's Abby?"

"She's gone, Connor. Helen shot her," the military man explained softly. "Helen killed her and Dr. Page. She's gone…"

Connor shook his head. "No… no…"

"Connor, look at me. Abby is gone. She's not coming back. I need you to focus. Think about your daughter…"

"Sarah?"

Becker nodded. "Yes, Sarah. She's with Jenny. We're going to go get her. I just need to make sure you're okay before we leave you here."

"Leave? No… I'm coming with you."

"Conn, you need to rest. We'll bring her to you. Don't worry."

"She's my daughter…" Connor struggled to stand up. He looked rather worn down.

"I know. I know. But you need to stay here. Helen is trying to get to you. No matter what, that can't happen. You need to hide."

"She killed Abby…"

"Don't worry, she will suffer. I'll make sure of it."

"And Sarah… the one from the future… did Helen…?"

"She's gone. Helen got to her. She was taken from the truck."

Connor closed his eyes. "I'm coming with you."

"No—"

"I promised to get her home. I won't let Helen kill her. Not because of me. I'm going to get her back and we're doing to protect my daughter. It's what Abby would want."

Becker sighed. "Fine. But you don't get a gun."

" I'll kill that bitch with my bare hands if I have to."

* * *

Sarah's hands were bound behind her back. She lay face down in the back of a van beside Jenny. The other woman had not stirred since being tasered. Sarah's entire body ached from her fall and the double tasering. Her Wonderland blood gave her a faster recovery time from most anything from illness to gunshots.

She tried to stay quiet, her head pounding, and her muscles screaming.

A dreadful fate awaited them both. Helen wanted them dead. She wanted Sarah's only hope of returning home dead. Helen meant to kill Connor Temple.

She wouldn't let that happen. Not to her brother's lookalike. He didn't deserve it. He was only involved in this mess because of her. Because Helen chose her to get under his skin.

She wriggled around on the floorboard, trying to reach her father's knife. _I won't let this happen. I won't lie down and die without a fight. I won't let them kill his friend—not after they killed his wife._

The knife was in her front pocket. She grunted. It was just out of reach.

Beside her, Jenny groaned. "God that hurts."

Sarah rolled over to face the older woman. "Hello..."

The other woman frowned. "Sarah?"

"Sorry about that. Helen had a gun to my back. I'm Sarah… Sarah Hatter. I'm from the future."

Jenny groaned again, trying to sit up. "The future? How… you came through an anomaly?"

"Yeah, I guess. That's what Connor tells me. All I know is that I was stepping between worlds when I landed in this strange place… where Helen and those Predators were. She dragged me here to get to Connor. And it worked…"

Sarah twisted her wrists toward her pocket again.

"Abby's going to be furious…" Jenny said. "If Helen gets to Sarah…"

"She already has. I'm sorry, Miss Lewis. She used me to confuse you and get inside the flat. I don't know what's she's planning, but it involves Connor. She's going to make him do something… something he wouldn't do unless there were lives at stake."

"Like what?"

Sarah shrugged. "I don't know. I just met her. But Connor—he's just like my brother. Same personality. I just know in my gut that it's bad."

"What is going to happen to us?"

"Nothing if you can help me."

"What do you need me to do?" Jenny asked, eying the female version of Connor—a grown-up version of the child she had been watching minutes before.

* * *

David Hatter climbed out of the truck, slowly taking his surroundings. The underground garage had a strong military presence. Another truck was parked a few spaces away. The two vehicles were identical.

Three people stood around this truck. One had sandy blond hair—most likely the leader of this rag-tag bunch—another was a female with short platinum blonde hair and a quirky style of dress and the third looked just like his son.

"Cutter…" his driver said, joining the group.

"Oh, good. Stephen, I want you to take the lead. We don't know what we're dealing with yet. Connor, I want you to figure out how long this anomaly has been open, where it opens to, and how long it's going to last. Abby, tranquilizers, if you would," the older man said, handing a gun to the driver.

The man took it gratefully.

Hatter bumped into the younger man accidentally as they all scrambled around the truck. The two men stopped—their identical eyes examining each other.

"Wicked…" the younger man said, his voice just like Connor's. "Look, Abs…"

"Connor… the anomaly…" the man called Cutter said, stepping toward them. He stopped.

Hatter swiped off his hat, tipping it to the other man. "'Ello. David Hatter. Please ta meet ya," he said. "This is my son, Connor."

"What?" blurted out the young college student.

"Connor, really. This is no time for games. Your sister is still missing and your mother is worried sick about you," Hatter said.

"I don't know you—how do you know my name?"

Cutter stepped between them. "Mr… Hatter is it?"

"Yes?"

"You know Connor?"

"Of course. He's my son." He stared at the bewildered student again. _Right?_

"Connor?" Cutter asked.

"I've never met 'im before. Honest, Professor."

Hatter took a step back. "Look, I swear he's my son. His name is Connor Kyle Hatter and he's a twin. He has an older sister—Sarah. He was born and raised in New York and he's got a lizard named Rex. Ask me anything."

"How did ya know about Rex?"

"Where is Rex? I thought you were talking him back?" Cutter demanded, looking at both Connor and the girl, Abby.

"He came back, remember? We're just waiting for the right time period to send him home. He's safe in the flat," the girl offered. "It's not like I sold him to the circus."

"Listen, can we argue about this later? There's an anomaly waiting and who knows what's come through it already," the driver, who Hatter assumed was Stephen, suggested.

The man in charge, Cutter, nodded. "Stephen's right. Abby, get those tranquilizers ready. Stephen, I want you leading the entry team. Connor… you know what to do. And Hatter… you're with me."

The team split up, leaving Hatter totally confused and feeling even further away from home than he had when he landed.

**Author's Notes:**

I'm not too happy with this chapter, but I'll let you guys decide. It's got a lot going on and I'm keeping Helen in the background for now. Would you all prefer one chapter in Wonderland, then a chapter in London, then another chapter in Wonderland? Or does it not really matter?

Thanks for reviewing! Please keep the reviews coming. You guys are amazing.


	13. Chapter 12: Ana of Diamonds Revealed

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Alice_ – no rights, no claims, nada – it belongs to SyFy and Nick Willing. Rex, Sid, and Nancy belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures. Sarah, Connor, Damon, and Chase are my own creations.

**Chapter Twelve: Ana of Diamonds Revealed **

She looked around the luxurious suite, pleasantly surprised that after fifteen years, she'd returned to her old station. Fifteen years of bowing and scraping her way back to health. Fifteen years of fighting for survival on both sides of the Glass.

She didn't look the age she was—not after spending ten years of Wonderland time on the other side. She no longer resembled the naive girl left to die in a shallow grave.

Jessica Heart stared into the elaborate mirror on the wall. Her dark locks had been bleached blonde. She also straightened them to remove her natural kinks.

Getting back inside the palace after her exile had required years of planning and preparation. In the end it was worth it. She would take back the throne from her psychotic half-brother. She would take it back—along with her life.

Jessica chose Ana after her near-death because of what it meant. She couldn't wait to throw the information that she was still alive in Damon's face.

She smiled, planning the day she would have Damon arrested for treason and the day her twin brother would be welcomed back. It had been too risky to trace Kyle. If the wrong person had seen her, her plan never would have worked. It took her fifteen years to fully recover.

The damage done to her body took several surgeries and years of physical therapy for her to walk properly. Several bones in her face had been destroyed, as well as in her hands. Her legs were badly mangled and her spinal column affected by the beating.

She dug herself out of the shallow grave with her broken hands, clawing her way to freedom. The former princess pulled herself along the ground until she got help. She lost several pints of blood along the way.

Jessica was found later by allies of the Resistance—a Duck and Owl—who took her to the Great Library. They nursed her back to health for several days, even having a doctor stitch her up and set her bones.

The doctor insisted that she be sent through the Looking Glass to be attended to. The trio knew how much trouble they would be in if they were caught helping the disgraced princess.

Her stitches were removed, her bones sloppily set as if she'd done it herself, and she was smuggled through the Looking Glass. One of her traveling companions called an ambulance, which took her to the hospital and saved her life.

Of course, there had been police standing by when she woke up.

Jessica claimed amnesia until after she was released. Then she set up a new identity—one of Ana Diamonate. Or, in Wonderland terms, Ana of Diamonds. Her blonde hair was a nod to her stepmother's family. It had taken a lot of paperwork and time to get her fictitious past in order.

Plastic surgery remodeled her face, covering the worst of the damage. Her bones healed and she learned to walk again once the swelling around her spine went down.

All of the doctors were impressed with her progress. But then again, they didn't know why she tried so hard. They didn't know about her plans—they had no idea that revenge drove her.

No one knew.

* * *

Across the vast area of Wonderland, Connor continued his search for clues about his past—about what happened in Wonderland while he was gone. What became of his parents and his sister? How had a simple trip through the Glass landed him in this familiar, yet changed world?

He left the graveyard.

In this other version—this alternate Wonderland, he supposed—his name was Kyle. Sarah was Jessica. But was their father really Jack Heart or was it David Hatter?

Try as he might, he couldn't see his mother with anyone but his father. They just fit well together. The Mad Hatter and his Alice having a never-ending tea party with friends and family using mis-matched china in a wildly decorated tea shop… that was the parents he knew. Not someone who was a King or Queen.

Of course, his mother was still the Queen of Wonderland, and his father the King, but no one bothered with the formalities. They didn't behave like stuck-up royalty. Both his parents worked hard at the tea shops and his mum still worked part-time at a martial arts studio.

His mother was too down-to-earth to be traditional royalty. She was all wrong for Jack Heart.

Connor trudged down from the graveyard, his eyes looking out into the distance.

"Sarah, where the hell are you when I need you?" he muttered, his brown eyes scanning for a direction.

He needed to find the palace, find whoever was King, and find out what happened to the mirror he'd stepped through, not to mention learn what fate befell his parents and sister.

Connor didn't get far before he was struck over the head and grabbed by a rag-tag group of Wonderlanders.

* * *

Damon Heart watched from his seat at dinner while his younger brother flirted with Ana of Diamonds. The two made an attractive couple. Too attractive.

He could just see the little blond-haired munchkins the pair would have. Little perfect royal children who would take his throne away from him. That could not happen. Not while he lived. No, no, this would stop.

One of his most loyal Suits approached him. He crooked his finger, motioning for the man to lean in.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Retrieve the Vorpal Sword. I want that bitch's head on a platter."

He would stop this nonsense before it got any further.

**Author's Notes:**

I know it's short, but oh well, there's a lot going on.

Enjoy! Please, please review!


	14. Chapter 13: Almost

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Alice_ – no rights, no claims, nada – it belongs to SyFy and Nick Willing. Rex, Sid, and Nancy belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures. Sarah, Connor, Damon, and Chase are my own creations.

**Chapter Thirteen: Almost**

Connor Temple rode in the front seat this time around. Becker was behind the wheel, while Danny sat in the backseat, calling in reinforcements and ordering protection for the main members of the ARC team. Connor could also hear him transmitting the location of anomaly, where Sarah Page and his wife, his Abby, were murdered by Helen Cutter.

He tried not to think about Abby's death. It all seemed like a bad dream still.

Even so, he wasn't about to take a chance with Sarah's life. They had kept her alive in the Cretaceous era for most of her life—there was no way Connor was going to lose her in present day London to a psycho.

He clenched his fists. _You'll pay for this, Helen. You'll pay…_

* * *

"I need you to help me reach my knife. If you can get it out of my pocket, I can get us out of here," Sarah promised her fellow captive.

Jenny nodded. "Okay. Where is it?"

Sarah rolled closer to Jenny's hands. "Front pocket. It's a penknife. Very slim."

The other woman's hands brushed against her leg, feeling for the bump in the jeans. The two women strained to get closer to each other.

"I've almost got it…" Jenny said.

What followed was the longest minute of Sarah's life so far. Jenny's fingers closed on the blade, lost it, found it again, dropped it, and then passed it to Sarah. However, just as Sarah worked the knife against her wrists, the van's back doors opened.

"What the hell are you two doing?" growled one of Helen's men.

Sarah went still, trying to ignore the wetness of her own blood. This was not part of her plan.

* * *

He followed Cutter into what appeared to be a shopping centre of some sort—not quite a mall, but still a large collection of stores. They climbed on a lift, taking it up several floors, where they ended up in an office suite.

"If you see anything—anything at all—say something," Cutter insisted.

Hatter frowned. That seemed like a rather odd request.

But it didn't seem as odd when a really large cockroach leapt at his face.

* * *

Connor entered his flat mere steps behind Becker. The door to the flat had been unlocked—a bad sign if there ever was one—and there was a trickle of blood on the stairs.

As soon as they reached the main level, Connor broke away from the military man.

"Sarah? Jenny? 'Ello? Rex? Anyone?"

He went room to room, ducking under tables and beds, opening closet doors, and scouring the rather open-aired flat for any sign of his daughter, his friend, or his pets.

Rex ended up in one of the bathrooms. He'd been locked in.

Connor found Sid and Nancy pacing the floor of the master bedroom. Sarah's favorite playmates looked lost without her. They were rarely ever apart—his prehistoric pets loved having someone close in size who babbled to them, played games with them, and even fell asleep with them.

One of Abby's favorite pictures of Sarah had been one afternoon when the toddler fell asleep on Connor's chest. The two of them huddled up on the couch, Connor snoring lightly, before Sid and Nancy joined their favorite humans. Sid slept on one side of Sarah, Nancy on the other.

Even Rex joined in. He landed on Connor's legs, keeping watch over the family.

Abby took the picture without any of them ever noticing. No matter what her mood was, seeing that picture always made her smile.

Connor closed his eyes, wishing like hell he could have those good times back.

"Sarah? Jenny?"

Becker joined him in the kitchen. "Any sign of them?"

He shook his head.

"Great. Just great." Becker checked his gun again. "Does Jenny ever leave with Sarah?"

"She'd leave a note—and she'd lock the door. She has a key," Connor said.

"Do you think Helen's got them?"

Connor opened his mouth to venture a guess when the flat's landline began to ring.

* * *

"Nothing," Jenny said quickly. "Just… chatting. You know how girls are…"

The man didn't seem at all convinced.

Sarah tried not to wince as the knife in her hands slipped, cutting through a large section of rope, as well as cutting into her skin.

"Time to go," he muttered, reaching for Jenny first.

The PR manager lashed out with her feet, her heels scraping against his hands. The man snarled, his hand connecting with her cheek in a loud smack.

Before he could reach for her again, Sarah was on her feet, knife in hand. She lunged at Helen's cohort, her hand poised for a deadly knife blow. A hand grabbed her wrist.

She spun, breaking free of the grab as she kicked him in the groin with a powerful snap kick.

"Sarah… look out!" Jenny cried in warning.

Sarah didn't know what hit her when she tumbled onto the harsh pavement below.

* * *

Hatter yelped in surprise; his trusty right fist at the ready.

But even his sledgehammer was no match for this… genetically enhanced cockroach. It had pincers, which dug into his arm.

He screamed, out of both shock and pain.

As he crumbled to his knees, he could feel the venom in his blood already. He was going to die in this strange, backwards place. This was it. He, David Hatter, King of Wonderland, the Mad Hatter, was going to die from a cockroach bite.

* * *

"Temple residence," he answered, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Hello, Connor," a too-familiar female voice said. "I was wondering when you would show up. And you brought the captain with you. How sweet."

"What do you want, Helen? Haven't you done enough? Wasn't killing Abby enough?"

There was that laugh—her laugh. He hated the sound.

"No, no, you stupid boy. This is much bigger than your little crush. Much, much, bigger. The fate of the world is up for grabs. And you, you are going to give me what I need to control it. You are going to fix my anomaly opener. If you don't… everyone you care about will die. The longer you take, the more lives you will lose."

"Stop this nonsense!"

"It's not nonsense, Connor. It's business. If you want to see your daughter alive again, you will listen to me. In the next five hours, someone you care about will die. Two hours after that, another one will die. And so on."

"I would rather die than help you!" he spat.

"You'll be begging for death soon enough, dear, stupid boy. Oh, I can only imagine what you would have been like if Nick had never gotten his hands on you—never poisoned your mind against what could be. What _should_ be."

"You're sick, Helen."

She laughed again.

"Not sick… realistic."

"I want my daughter back. Now."

"You don't get her back until you do what I say. In case you're thinking of double-crossing me, I have a little bit of insurance… your daughter, Jenny Lewis, and your little lost girl from the future. Wouldn't it be a shame if they died because of you?"

Connor couldn't find words to say. This was a nightmare.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Helen said. "Now, you've got less than five hours before one of them dies…"

The phone went dead.

Becker looked over at him. "What did she want?"

"She wants me to give her the means to destroy the world. If I don't, she's going to kill Sarah."

**Author's Notes:**

Since certain anomalies seem prone to opening, I took the liberty of re-opening anomaly from the episode in season 2 when the girl goes after her lost dog and Cutter and Stephen go after her.

Anyways, thanks for reviewing! Please keep them coming! I've finally got a bit of a plan for this story and the original thanks to a weekend getaway and a late-night brainstorming session with my sis. This is for you, Bec!


	15. Chapter 14: Ana Attacked

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Alice_ – no rights, no claims, nada – it belongs to SyFy and Nick Willing. Rex, Sid, and Nancy belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures. Sarah, Connor, Damon, and Chase are my own creations.

**Chapter Fourteen: Ana Attacked**

Chase escorted her up to her room after they walked around the garden. Dinner had been delicious and full of Wonderland delicacies. It had been years since she had a hot meal and a warm bed to sleep in.

But Jessica knew better to than let her guard down around Damon Heart and his Suits. If he felt like it, he could order her death.

She would sleep with one eye open, just like she had every night since she was buried alive.

She said good night to her ignorant half-brother. Chase had a kind soul, but he was no match for their brother. Damon was pure evil. Not many people could compete with that kind of darkness. A person needed to have a touch of darkness in order to deal with evil.

Jessica had been touched by the darkness that fueled Damon. She knew how evil thought. She could predict and out think Damon. She just needed to stay alive a little bit longer.

She slipped out of her dress and underneath the covers with just a loose nightgown on. The persona of Ana faded away as she clicked off the light. Only watchful Jessica remained.

And it was Jessica who felt the cold steel of the Vorpal Blade on her neck.

* * *

Back in the wilderness of Wonderland, Connor Hatter awoke with a massive headache and his hands bound behind his back. He had a bad feeling that this was going to become more of a habit the longer he was in Wonderland.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he grumbled to himself. Sarah would have been more aware of her surroundings. She wouldn't have been jumped by these… savages.

But he wasn't Sarah and she wasn't there. He was alone.

"This has to be a nightmare…"

"No, this is real. I promise," a familiar voice said. "It would be easier if it a nightmare though."

He looked up only to see an older version of himself. A wilder version complete with long hair and the beginnings of a beard. There were a few scars on his face. Other than that, the two men were dressed similarly in jeans, boots, a sweatshirt, and a jacket. Except that Connor had a waistcoat over his sweatshirt under his jacket, while the other man just wore a leather jacket over his hoodie.

"Who the 'ell are you?"

"Kyle Heart. Who are you?"

"Oh my God…" he whispered. " I'm Connor Hatter. I'm you in a way. I think…"

For once in his life, Connor looked and felt unsure. Judging by the gravestones, he had ended up in some twisted version of Wonderland—a version where he was a man named Kyle. He wasn't Sarah's little sister and David Hatter wasn't their father. Not here.

"What?"

Connor cleared his throat. "I'm you. Well, if your—our parents had escaped. In my world, we were born and raised in New York. I was fifteen when Damon Heart murdered his father and shot Sarah—my sister. I killed Damon five years ago. Well, five years ago in New York time… I'm not sure how long it's been here…"

"So what are you saying?" this other version of him asked.

"We need to fix this. Where is Jessica? Your sister?"

Kyle sighed. "Dead. Jessica is dead."

"What?"

Connor felt his chest constrict. _This isn't possible… she can't be… no…_

"No one's seen or heard from her in over fifteen years. Not since we were both disinherited and banished."

"How do you know she's dead?"

Kyle scoffed. "Take a look around, mini-me. If my sister was alive, do you think Wonderland would look like this? No."

"When did all this start to happen?"

"Around the same time my half-brother, Damon, took power. He's the King now—the King of Hearts and of Wonderland. His advisor is our grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Heart. He's the reason that Wonderland is in ruins. He's ordered the death of anyone even _suspected_ of plotting against him. He's paranoid and because of it, at least a third of Wonderland has been destroyed. People. Property. Anything that stands in his way," Kyle said softly, with a hint of disgust at his half-brother's actions.

"What about the Looking Glass?"

"It just shut down one day. Rumor has it that some woman is getting it fixed. The plan is bring Oysters back to Wonderland for the tea trade."

Connor paled. If Damon succeeded, the entire future of Wonderland was at stake. Wonderland wouldn't last long if Emotion Tea regained its popularity.

"We have to stop them," Connor insisted, facing his older self. "We need to stop Damon."

"That's impossible. Even considering overthrowing Damon is treason. You'll get us both killed."

Connor sighed. "Not if you and your little 'friends' help me. Damon can be defeated. I've done it before. He won't know what hit him."

"My friends?"

He nodded. "Yeah, the other… refugees?"

Kyle frowned, puzzled. "Refugees? Don't you mean the Resistance?"

"_That's_ the Resistance?" Connor asked, staring at the group of five men and women wearing rags and carrying makeshift weapons. These were the same bunch of people who had kidnapped him in the woods.

"What's left of it. Well, there's maybe twenty others scattered throughout Wonderland."

"What the 'ell happened?"

"Damon had them murdered."

Connor closed his eyes, remembering the bodies of Dormouse and the Ratcatcher. He thought about his mother's grave, his sister and father's disappearance (and likely deaths), and Damon's rule in this alternate version.

"We have to stop him. Sarah would've stopped them."

"Who's Sarah?" Kyle asked, his eyebrows raised in mild confusion.

"My sister. She's my Jessica. That's actually her middle name. Sarah Jessica Hatter. I'm Connor Kyle Hatter."

"And your mother is Alice… Alice of Legend?"

"Yeah, Alice Hamilton of New York. She's my—our mum. D'you know you look like 'im?"

"Like who?" It was Kyle's turn to frown.

"Our dad. David Hatter. The Mad Hatter. Owns the old Tea House."

Kyle stretched his legs out. "The Mad Hatter? My father is Jack Heart."

"No… if it was Jack, you'd be blond. You're a Hatter… like me. Damon doesn't share our blood. Neither does Chase."

"You know Chase?"

"Yeah, unfortunately. He broke my sister's heart."

"You mean… they were…?" Kyle's words faded. He ended up using hand motions to get his point across about Jessica and Chase doing the horizontal tango. The look of pure disgust never left his face.

"Ummm, yup. They're not related though—we're not related to the Hearts. We're Liddells—the true rulers of Wonderland. Not Hearts. God no," Connor explained quickly.

Kyle didn't seem at all convinced.

"Look, I'll show you. I've got pictures."

"Pictures?" The word seemed foreign to his rugged double.

"Umm, they're like small, instant paintings. Of people."

"Really?"

"If you untie me, I'll show you. I've got 'em on my phone. Oh… that's a device to talk to people over long distances. Mine's portable."

Curiousity won over Kyle. He cut Connor free, allowing the younger man to retrieve his phone. They sat side-by-side as Connor flipped open his phone.

His battery still had a little bit of juice left. It was enough to let him pull up some old pictures of Sarah, their mother, and their father. Chase was in one picture with Sarah, the two of them laughing during happier times. There was one of him with Sarah and their dad. It was a bit out of focus—Alice was rubbish with cell phone cameras—but it showed the strong resemblance between father, daughter, and son.

"Jess…" Kyle whispered, staring at Sarah's pictures. "She looks so happy…"

"She usually was," Connor said. "She loved Wonderland."

"What happened to her?"

"I don't know."

* * *

Damon Heart stood over the sleeping blonde woman.

In her sleep, Ana of Diamonds seemed peaceful, not the conniving little bitch he knew she was. Her slender body disappeared underneath the heavy covers, hiding away most of her curvy frame. He could see her delicate neck and clavicle. Her blonde hair trickled down her neck in loose curls, accentuating the pale skin.

It would be so easy to snap her neck.

He raised the heavy sword. He touched the blade to her neck like an executioner measured his axe against a prisoner's neck before beheading them. She didn't stir.

The Vorpal Sword cut through the air easily. The only problem was that the sword missed its mark.

The silk nightgown she wore reflected small fragments of moonlight, illuminating her movements as she rolled clear of the blade. She dropped to the floor smoothly before moving into a defensive position. He smiled at that. She was a fighter. It would make killing her that much sweeter.

He raised the sword again, swinging the blade at her midsection, forcing her toward the bed, where the remains of her pillow lay scattered. She grunted.

Damon stepped closer, catching a chunk of her hair as he climbed onto the bed. He slipped the sword right up next to her neck.

She cried out in surprise, her body thrashing despite the sword level with her throat. It would be very easy to decapitate the woman. It would be so easy to crush his brother's little romance and their distant cousin's potential grasp for the throne.

But first, he wanted to have a little bit of fun with her. It had been a long time since he'd been with a woman. He might as well enjoy her before he killed her.

* * *

Jessica struggled, trying not to let the sharp steel slice into her neck.

_Not again. I won't let you do this to me again…_

He straddled her hips, holding her still on the bed. Bile rose in her throat at his unwanted touch. Her instincts assessed the situation; trying to figure out how to unseat him, avoid decapitation by sword, and escape.

"Go ahead… scream…" Damon taunted in a breathy whisper. "No one will hear you. No one will save you, you little blonde whore…"

Her brown eyes bored into his. "Let go of me!"

Damon leaned in closer, his breath hot on her face. "I don't think so. You've been found guilty of treason against the sovereign of Wonderland…"

She cried out, her fingernails clawing at his face.

He backhanded her soundly, leaving blood dripping down the corner of her mouth.

"You like this?" he growled, his arousal very clear.

"Get away from me, you pervert!"

He smacked her again. "Language, my dear cousin. Language…"

Jessica tried to keep her fear contained. Damon thrived on fear—it was nourishment for his twisted soul the way chocolate cake was for other people. Then again, most of his subjects weren't lying on their backs with a broadsword at their throat and his pelvis grinding into their hips.

Her nails were too short to do much damage. She couldn't get the right leverage to flip him thanks to the sword and his simulation of sex.

_You twisted little fucker…_

Damon didn't recognize her as his half-sister. He just seemed to be getting off at the very idea of having the woman his brother had eyes for. She was a prize to him. He had no idea that they were closely related or that she'd gladly stab him in the back.

"That's what a real man feels like," he hissed into her ear before licking a drop of blood from her throat.

Jessica shivered. She had thought after all those years and preparation that she could take on Damon. She'd been wrong. She'd been so wrong.

_Kyle… if you can hear me… help… It's Jessie. I need you. Damon… it's Damon… You have to stop him… Please…_

But Jessica had a feeling that her silent cry for help would fall on deaf ears. The odds of her brother still being alive or conscious enough to receive her message were slim.

She closed her brown eyes for a moment, trying to summon what remained of her strength and anger. She was the daughter of Alice of Legend. She was the rightful heir to the throne—not Damon the demon. She was her mother's daughter.

He'd killed her once before. She couldn't let him do it twice. Wonderland needed her.

Jessica curled her right hand into a fist. She let her power concentrate in her knuckles. She could feel the anger joining the tiny bit of magic that occasionally manifested there. The combination made her hand tingle.

Above her, Damon shifted his weight.

She struck, her fist slamming into the side of his head.

There was a loud sound as bone struck bone. Damon faltered for a moment, giving her precious seconds.

Jessica shoved him again, tossing him away from her. The sword slipped; freeing her neck.

She picked up the heavy blade.

Damon grunted, coming back to his senses as she backed to the edge of the bed, the Vorpal Sword in her hand. She leveled the lethal blade at him.

"Don't you dare touch me!" she cried.

He touched his cheek, his fingers wet with his own blood. "You little bitch…"

"Come any closer to me and I'll make sure you're never capable of having children—or raping anyone."

"Rape? That's what you think this was?" He sounded insulted.

"What else is it called when you wake up with a man on top of you in the middle of the night and a sword at your throat?" Jessica snapped.

He didn't bother to reply.

"What was your plan? Huh? Kill me?"

"The plan? The plan was to fuck you senseless like the whore you are and kill you as a warning to anyone else with delusions of taking my kingdom."

"Delusions?"

"You want my throne. I saw you with my brother. You wanted him. You planned to use him to get on Wonderland's throne. Tell me, did you sleep with him?"

Jessica looked disgusted. "No—never!"

"You're lying to me. I don't care. Keep the sword. I don't need it. But trust me when I say this, you little bitch—if you even _think_ about taking my throne, you'll be dead before sunrise. And next time, it won't be so pleasant…" Damon hissed in warning, stepping right up next to her. He didn't seem to care that she had the sword at his throat, drawing blood.

"Get out of my room."

"Kill me and you won't leave my kingdom alive."

"I'm already dead."

He frowned in confusion at her words.

Jessica tightened her grip on the sword. _This is it… I can finally kill—_

The doors to her room burst open. In came a Club, scurrying about in his black robes like a little mouse trapped in a maze with a cat. "Your Highness, I hate to interrupt—"

"What is it?" Damon snapped.

"The rebels. They've been spotted."

"And?"

"Your half-brother, my King. He is leading them. They're coming here," the terrified Club said.

_Kyle! You're alive!_

**Author's Notes:**

Ehh, this is my third version of this chapter and I'm still not that happy with it. It's a tricky chapter.

Kyle's look is based off the series 4 filming pictures of Andrew-Lee Potts as Connor Temple for _Primeval_. See **Casey Dee**'s, author of _Always_ and _Forever _(two awesome AlicexHatter stories), profile for links to the pictures. I figured an older, tougher look was needed since he's been living out in the woods for fifteen years.

A little note on ages/time. Connor and Sarah Hatter are 20 in New York. They were fifteen when they defeated Damon in A&WCA. In Wonderland time, Jessica and Kyle were 20 when Damon took over, making them 35 now, 15 years after Damon took power and banished them. However, since Jessica spent several years on the other side of the mirror, she is closer to her late 20s than her mid-30s.

I hope Kyle and Connor's talk isn't too off. I thought Kyle would be pretty open to trusting Connor despite all the trouble he's been through with Damon.

Yes, I made Damon a rather sick guy in this chapter. He is really sick. But there is a practical application for him straddling her aside from his simulated rape.

In self-defense, we had to pretend to be asleep on mats in order to practice being attacked. When you are sleeping, your attacker will straddle you around your hips and put their hands on your neck. In order to get free, you have to buck your hips up rather hard (to throw off their balance) and use your hands (one on say, their right ear, the other on their left shoulder) to push-pull them away from you.

It's very hard to do, especially if you're attacked while lying on your back or your stomach. If you're on your side, it's easier to throw off their balance. It's a really strange move to practice, but I thought given the fact that Damon's a creep, he wouldn't be against raping "Ana" before killing her, especially since she's fighting him. He's in love with power, so it's more about the power and control to him than the sex.

However, since Jessica is a fighter and a beloved character, I let her turn the tables on Damon before he could actually rape her.

As always, please, please comment. Your thoughts and reviews mean so much to me. I'm in my last week of finals, so it might be another week or two until I pound another chapter out, but please keep the reviews coming! Thanks so much for reading!


	16. Chapter 15: Trouble in London

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I only wish I owned SyFy's _Alice. _But _Alice_ belongs to those folks at SyFy and writer/director Nick Willing. Helen Cutter, Rex, Jenny Lewis, Sid and Nancy, and all other assorted _Primeval_ odds and ends belong to the show's creators and ITV/Impossible Pictures. I'm only responsible for Sarah, Connor Hatter, Chase, Damon, Jessica and Kyle.

**Chapter Fifteen: Trouble in London**

She watched the young woman slam face-first into the concrete outside the van. This Sarah didn't move. Blood trickled out of her head, staining the ground and her black hair.

Jenny Lewis was hauled out of the van by one of Helen's lackeys. She continued to kick and struggle as she was brought back to the ground in front of the Anomaly Research Centre.

"Keep fighting and the girl gets it," snarled another man who came around the van. He carried a black pistol in one hand.

Jenny stood still for a moment. _This can't be happening…_

She saw the small knife lying beside Sarah's body. If she could grab the blade, she might be able to get them both free.

"Walk!" hissed her captor.

Jenny stumbled forward, one of her heels breaking. The sudden change in her balance forced her to her knees. She used that stumble to swipe the penknife.

Her hand stung from connecting with the raised cement. The rough mixture sliced open her palm. She ignored the pain. She had the knife now. She would get Sarah and herself out of this mess. She had promised Connor to protect his daughter. It didn't matter if Sarah was Connor's daughter or another woman. Jenny would save her.

* * *

"What happened?" Abby Maitland asked as she came running to Cutter's distress call. Connor followed just behind her while Stephen brought up the rear.

"He's been bitten. We need medical attention."

"What?" Connor squeaked.

"Now's not the time, Connor. We need to get him to a hospital before the venom kills him."

The computer nerd nodded, looking like he might just pass out.

Abby knelt down beside her flatmate's lookalike. She tugged Connor down next to her and unwrapped his scarf. He didn't seem to notice.

She tied off the injured man's wound, hoping to slow the flow of the poison into his body. Stephen was on his mobile, calling for back-up.

"We need to find that creature," Cutter said, looking over at Stephen. "We need a sample of that venom."

* * *

"Connor, wait!" Becker called after the dark-haired man. He'd never seen the technological wizard move this fast. He ran like a man possessed without caring who or what stood in his way.

Temple ignored him. He raced down the flat's stairs to the waiting truck. He didn't even slow down.

"Connor!" the military man shouted.

He was already climbing into the truck. He wasn't going to stop. Becker knew that. He could see it on the other man's face. This was about more than the shock of Abby and Dr. Page's murders. This was about more than Connor's daughter's kidnapping. This was about Helen Cutter and the death and destruction she caused. This was revenge—plain and simple.

Connor had more motive and anger than most people should carry around. He had a friend die in his arms before. Then his wife was shot and killed in front of him. Another friend was murdered a few yards away. His daughter was taken. A girl he'd befriended disappeared as well. It all led back to Helen and her quest to destroy their world.

Becker grabbed a hold of the passenger door, wrenching it open as Connor turned the key. The engine roared to life as he jumped inside. The door slammed loudly behind him.

"Connor, look at me. We're unarmed. We can't go up against Helen right now. We need to calm down and regroup. We need more people if we are going to stop her…" he reasoned.

But Connor was beyond reason. One look in his wild brown eyes told him that. "She's going to kill everyone. Only I can I stop her. Me. Just me. She wants to deal with me."

"We can't trust her—"

"She's got my daughter!"

Becker sighed. There wasn't much he could say. He didn't have a family. He didn't have children. He'd never lost a wife or a child. He could feel bad for Connor, but there was no way he could understand what the other man was going through.

Becker closed his eyes for a moment. "I need you to trust me, Connor. We are going to get Sarah back. I just need some time. We can't go running around half-cocked. If we don't plan our next move, Helen will kill you and Sarah."

"I don't care if she kills me. I won't let her kill my daughter."

* * *

Jenny stumbled in her broken shoe. Helen's men escorted her right into the ARC's main complex. Another man dragged Sarah behind them.

She kept the knife in her palm. All she needed was the right moment to free herself. She needed Sarah to wake up. She couldn't drag the young woman along. They both needed to be mobile.

"On your knees," one of the men ordered, shoving her forward.

Jenny winced as her knees collided with the floor.

A gun clicked as a bullet slipped into the chamber.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment. The knife dug into her palm. _Not like this… please…_

* * *

In a warehouse near the Thames River, Helen Cutter stroked the hair of Connor's sleeping daughter. The little girl had been knocked out from one dart. Helen planned to keep her unconscious until she had to kill her. Even if Connor came through with the improved opener, she couldn't afford to let his daughter live.

Both Sarahs had to die. She couldn't wait until she could send the older one through an anomaly to the Queen of Hearts. That girl had been a thorn in her side since the start.

She smirked at the oblivious toddler. Soon the world would belong only to her and her beloved creatures.

* * *

A gun clicked.

Sarah Hatter cracked open her eye, trying to get a feel for her surroundings.

She could feel the hard ground underneath her body. She would be black, blue, green, and purple by the next day. She could feel the bruises forming already.

Her knife was gone.

Sarah opened her eye further, scanning for the source of the gun clicks. Bullets were never a good sign—her father had taught her that from an early age. There was a reason both her father and brother wore bullet-proof armor. At this rate, she was going to have to start wearing a vest herself.

She could see Jenny across the room, kneeling. A man stood over her with a gun pressed against her skull.

There wasn't time to think about the consequences. There wasn't time to form a plan.

Sarah jumped into action, tackling the man with the gun.

It went off, the bullet meant for Jenny ricocheting off the ground.

She rolled along with the man in black, the gun flying lose and skittering across the floor. She kept going, momentum carrying her past him.

Blood dripped into her eyes. Sarah groaned, her ribs aching from the fall. _That's going to hurt tomorrow…_

But there was no chance for pain or regrets. Not when she found herself facing the barrel of a gun.

* * *

Abby stayed with Connor's lookalike—his father of sorts. The two men looked like mirror images, except for a few differences. This man…this Hatter had scars all over his body that she saw once the doctor and nurses ripped off his shirt.

He was older; more rugged than the Connor she knew. They had a similar build, lean and wiry. But Hatter was more muscled.

Not that it mattered. If Cutter and Stephen couldn't catch the creature who bit him, Connor's father—or double or whatever he was—would die.

The man in the hospital bed whimpered, clearly in pain despite the morphine flowing through his veins. Abby sighed, depressing the button. More morphine entered his blood stream.

But that didn't stop him. He mumbled something. A name.

"What is it?" the blonde asked.

"Sarah… can't find Sarah…"

"Who's Sarah?"

"Sarah gone… missing…"

"I'll help you find her. My friends can help. Who is she?"

"My Sarah…"

"Your wife?"

"No… Sarah… don't…"

"Your daughter?" Abby tried.

"Sarah… don't go…"

"Don't go where?"

She didn't get an answer. She couldn't get an answer. He was unconscious again thanks to the pain and morphine. Still and silent except for the occasionally twitch.

**Author's Notes:**

I know, I know. Not much happens. It's a slow build-up.

The next chapter will deal with Wonderland and Jessica/Ana's reunion of sorts with her brother. Or is it her brother? We'll find out in chapter sixteen.

As for Sarah and Jenny—we'll get back to their trouble in chapter seventeen along with Daddy Hatter's plight. I hope that seeing Abby helps make up for her death earlier. Just keep in mind that the timeline is always changing. Each event can cause a ripple in time and affect other events. Something that Hatter does in the past could change Wonderland's future.

So that's the basics of what's to come. Enjoy! And please review!


	17. Chapter 16: A Plan of Sorts

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything related to _Alice_ – no rights, no claims, nada – it belongs to SyFy and Nick Willing. Rex, Sid, and Nancy belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures. Sarah, Connor, Damon, and Chase are my own creations.

**Chapter Sixteen: A Plan of Sorts**

He held onto the phone, staring at the photograph of the brunette woman. She was a perfect copy of his own twin sister—his older sister, Jessica. His dead sister.

Damon Heart killed his sister. Kyle had no proof—just a feeling that Jessica was dead. No one had seen or heard from her in fifteen years. If Jess was alive, then Damon would already be dead. His sister wouldn't have let that bastard destroy Wonderland.

He had no choice but to trust his younger double. He had to do what Jess would want. She would want him to stand up to Damon and destroy him. She would want that.

He would save Wonderland for his sister. He'd get revenge.

* * *

Jessica raced to the window, the heavy sword at her side.

_Kyle…you're alive! I can't believe it!_

She threw open the window, peering out into the darkness below. A small group of men, possible with a few women, stood assembled below. At the head of the group stood a dark-haired man, the hood of his bright-colored sweatshirt thrown back. He was the leader.

His hair had grown out and a few strands were tucked behind his ears. His face looked almost as young as she remembered. He looked very young and fresh-faced despite fifteen years of exile. Perhaps he'd lived on the other side of the Looking Glass for several years, like she had.

Her brother wore a waistcoat underneath his jacket. It cut across the blue cloth of his sweatshirt. It was a comical look that only her little brother could pull off.

Jessica couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips. It was him. He'd come.

_What took you so bloody long?_

"Rally the troops. Bring Kyle Heart to me. I'll deal with him personally. He is to be captured alive at any cost," Damon ordered from across the room. "And make sure Ana stays put in her room. I don't want her wandering around."

"Yes, your Majesty," the Club agreed, giving a short bow to the King of Wonderland.

Jessica spun around. Damon was going to kill her baby brother. He was going to take out the last known threat to his throne.

Her hand tensed on the sword. _You'll have to kill me first…_

* * *

"I want to help you stop him," Kyle insisted half-way across Wonderland.

"O' course. I know my sister would want it. I can't help but think Jessica would as well. Even Chase helped us stop Damon before. There's a chance he might help now," Connor said.

"Do you think she's dead?"

Connor nodded solemnly. "If she was alive, I'd know it. Wherever she is… it's not in our world or Wonderland. She has to be dead."

"And you're sure that I'm—we're not Hearts?"

"Yeah. You, me, our sisters—we're Hatters. Dark-haired like both our parents. Have you ever noticed a particular strength to one of your hands? Like magic?" Connor asked.

"How did ya know? It's my le—"

"—ft."

"Yeah."

Connor held up his left fist. "Same 'ere. Just like da. His right fist is like a sledgehammer—Sarah's too. Mine's the left."

"Yeah, Jessica had a strong right hook…"

"We're the same. You and me… we're the same person."

"Only we're not."

"But no one else knows that. No one knows but us. They think there's only one of us out 'ere. We have surprise on our side."

"What do ya mean?"

"We're going to march on the palace. I'm going to lead the charge. I want you to sneak in. I need you to get to Chase. He's going to be an important ally. He's our inside man. He'll help us stop Damon."

"Are you sure?"

Connor nodded. "I'll be the distraction. The Suits will think I'm you. It's perfect."

He snorted. "Yeah, until they decide to shoot you on sight."

"And miss a shot at a public execution? Yeah right."

"What makes you so sure this is gonna work?" Kyle asked. He wanted to trust himself, but it wasn't nearly as easy as it should be.

"I just… trust me."

Kyle sighed. "I guess. So what's your plan?"

* * *

Damon Heart swept out of the bedroom with a group of Suits on his heels. Behind him he could hear Ana of Diamonds shrieking and complaining as she was contained in her room. He couldn't help but smile at her rage.

He couldn't deny the excitement flooding his body at the very thought of wiping the rest of Alice Hamilton Heart's bloodline off the face of Wonderland. He knew that his grandmother would deal with the out of time pair of twins—it was his job to destroy this pair.

At least, that's what the woman in tan had told them. She had warned them of the second pair—a pair that wanted to change the timeline.

Duplicates of his so-called "siblings" who wanted to seize power from him. He couldn't let that happen.

He touched the knife concealed at his waist. He would execute Kyle Heart on his own, with no help from anyone else. Then, once the pretender to the crowd was dead, he would deal with Ana. There would be no blond rug rats at his court.

Damon entered his throne room and took his seat. "Bring me Kyle Heart. Now!"

Suits rushed out of the room to obey his orders. He smirked, relaxing in his cushy chair.

* * *

Jessica tossed a crystal vase at the heavy bedroom door. It shattered on impact, raining down broken glass. She screamed in frustration, feeling a bit like a wild animal forced into a tiny cage.

Damon would murder her brother. Kyle had survived for fifteen years on his own. She couldn't let Damon kill her twin. He was all she had left. Kyle was the last tie to her old life. Ana of Diamonds, her persona, didn't have any close relatives. Only Jessica did.

She stared at the Vorpal Blade, trying to wager her chances on escape with the lethal sword. Could she get away quick enough to dispatch Damon Heart, or would the Suits kill her on sight?

_If they get to Kyle, it won't bloody matter, will it?_

* * *

"Where are we?" Alice asked her traveling companion as they reached the top of another steep rise. She bent at the waist, panting and her brow damp with sweat.

Chase reached her side. "Umm, the Manor should be down there…" he said, pointing to the crumbled ruins. "Wait… that can't be…"

"I think you're right. I remember those pillars," Alice muttered, pointing to the front entrance. She had flown past those ivory-colored pillars in the gravel drive before the Manor. She'd been on the back of a flying flamingo with Hatter.

"Damnit, what has happened? The Manor shouldn't look like this. In the entire history of Wonderland, it's never once been abandoned. What changed?"

Alice sighed, turning to look at the young man. She'd come to regard him as a second son over the past few years. "We don't know how long it's been. It's possible that all the Hearts are gone."

"There were cousins—other distant relatives. Mother never would have let it just… rot."

"We need to keep moving, Chase. Is there anywhere else to go?"

"We could try to find the Caterpillar. He is an ally of my father. He opposed my brother's role. He would be on our side."

"What makes you think that's important?" Alice asked.

"Wonderland politics are very different than those of Oysters. For example, most Oysters don't murder their opposition or use their power to have their enemies killed. It's a rare occurrence for Oysters. In Wonderland, if you aren't killing your opposition, you aren't working hard enough. That's why I left. I had no interest in being judge, jury, and executioner."

"There have been assassinations…"

"In Wonderland, it's more like a massacre. Like that… ooh, what was that mass killing in your history again?"

"Which one?"

"The persecution one. With the famous little girl who wrote a book…" Chase tried, his forehead wrinkled in thought.

"Columbine?"

"No, no it was a whole country. Started with an 'h', I think…"

"The Holocaust?"

He snapped his fingers. "That's it! The Holocaust! That's how Wonderland politics work. You execute all of those who oppose you or might oppose you in order to secure your throne. We don't use gas chambers, but there are other ways. The preferred method has always been beheading."

"So what you're trying to say is, if another person took power, they might kill anyone with a claim to the throne?"

"Yes. That's what my brother did. He murdered our father to secure his position. If I hadn't played along, he would have easily ordered my death. I guess I got lucky that my mother sent me away. She played both sides to protect the bloodline. She knew how dangerous Damon was."

"Do you think that we have another dictator on our hands?" Alice asked.

"Given the burned out villages and this? It's very possible. They might have even disabled the Looking Glass."

A look of horror and comprehension crossed Alice's pale face. "Hatter!"

"Alice—"

"What if this was a trap? What if the mirror was broken on purpose? What if we were brought here to die?"

"You can't think like that."

"Why not?" Alice protested, staring at the blond. He'd almost become her son-in-law once. He'd been a good employee and friend to the family. "If we're the true rulers of Wonderland, than we'd be threats to whoever ruled. It's common knowledge that I had two children. Maybe this trap was meant for Sarah and Connor."

"Don't think like, Mrs. Hatter," Chase urged, grasping her arms. "Sarah is alive. She's your daughter. She's resourceful. So's Connor. They're alive somewhere. We're going to find them. Everything's going to work out, okay?"

"I hope you're right," she whispered, her blue eyes filled with pain and worry. For once, she looked older than her age instead of younger.

* * *

"What is all the commotion about?" Mary Elizabeth demanded, sweeping into the throne room. Her grandson looked up, slightly bored.

"Apparently that bastard Kyle is still alive. He's trying to march on the palace with his little group of Resistance members. It's pathetic, really."

"Not that, you imbecile! What is all that awful screeching about?"

"Oh, that? That would be my brother's guest of sorts… Ana of Diamonds. She's been confined to her rooms. She's a very unpleasant little bitch. I offered her a chance to save her neck and she attacked me. She's to be killed once I deal with Kyle once and for all."

"I told you to slit his throat fifteen years ago!"

"It's not my fault that his slag of a sister snuck him out! That whore got what she deserved in the end. All she did was delay his execution."

The former Queen of Hearts sighed loudly and with a theatrical air. "Let me deal with Miss Diamond. I will get rid of her. You finish off the last Hatter."

"It will be my pleasure, grandmother," Damon said with a genuine smile.

* * *

Jessica tore the sheets off her bed. She wouldn't stay in that room. Not when Damon wanted her brother. Screw him and his security. She was supposed to be the Queen of Wonderland—the Queen of Hearts.

She tore the sheets into strips with the sharp sword. She nicked her hands a few times, staining the already crimson sheets with her blood.

Her fingers moved quickly, knotting the sheets into a makeshift rope. It was a long drop to the ground below. It was a fall that could either kill or paralyze her if the sheet-rope failed or if she slipped.

The door to her room opened. Jessica turned, her attention now divided between her escape route and the intruder.

The intruder, a portly woman dressed in red swept into the room.

Jessica's hand gripped the sword. She knew this woman. It was her grandmother—the same evil witch who had installed her devious half-brother on the throne. There was no love lost between Mary Elizabeth Heart and her eldest grandchildren. She always resented Jessica and Kyle because of their "inferior" mother.

Jessica still bore the physical and mental scars of her hatred.

"What do you want?" she hissed at the older woman.

"You must be Ana. The King has told me much about you."

Her brown eyes narrowed. "Oh? Would that be before or after he tried to kill me?"

"I understand that you've been upset by this little incident—"

"Upset? Upset? You have no idea!" Jessica screamed.

The Madness rose within her. It was like a disease that flowed through some Wonderlanders. She had spent most of her life hiding the Madness, especially since she'd been taunted for being a half-blood her whole life. No one wanted to know that someone of royal blood, especially a princess, was Mad—dangerously unhinged. She would have been locked up in the Hospital of Dreams.

The old Queen smiled at her. "You have quite the temper, Ana of Diamonds. Tell me again how you came to be at court."

"I came to visit my family. Is that so wrong?"

"Considering that you are not related to the Diamond family, yes it is. You have been lying to this entire court. Plus the King says you threatened to kill him. Are these allegations true?"

Jessica held up the sword. "I don't know, Queenie. You tell me."

"How dare you point a sword at me? I'm the Queen of Hearts, you little imposter!"

"Actually, _I am_. What's wrong, Mary? Did you forget your granddaughter?" Jessica taunted. She stepped closer, aiming the point of the sharp blade at the older woman's throat. "Perhaps it should be off with your head now."

"You're delusional. I have no granddaughter."

"That's only because you made sure she disappeared, right, grandmamma?"

Mary Elizabeth looked at Jessica's face. She stared hard, seeing past the blonde dye and stylish clothes. She saw right into her eyes and the hatred lurking there. The anger and the Madness.

"You!" she snarled. "You little bastard!"

Jessica curtsied, tipping an imaginary hat to the redhead. "That's right. It's me… Jessica Hamilton Heart. The oldest child of King Jack Heart—the only daughter of Alice, the true Queen of Wonderland."

"That's absurd! You're dead!"

Jessica smirked at her. "Nice try… next time you want someone dead, don't bury them alive."

The Queen paled, her blush and garish eye shadow the only colors left on her face.

"It's not possible."

With her free hand, Jessica pulled down the neckline of her nightgown. "Recognize this? Even the best Oyster plastic surgeons couldn't fix it. It's a little reminder that I've carried for all these years."

An ugly, puckered line zigzagged down her collarbone and across her heart. The scar was close to seven inches in length.

Mary Elizabeth faltered. "It's not possible."

"What? You don't recognize the damage you did to your own flesh and blood? To a little girl who missed her mother?"

"You're no kin of mine," the Queen snarled.

"Oh? Is that so? Then why go to all the trouble to disown me? To exile Kyle?"

"All of Wonderland assumed you were the King's own children. Jack believed with every breath he had. He thought of you as his own."

"What are you saying?"

"You're not a Heart! You haven't a drop of royal blood in your veins!"

Jessica's nostrils flared. "Then who are my parents?"

"Your parents are dead."

She forgot all about the deadly sword in her possession. She grabbed the Queen by her neck and slammed her into a wall. Her right fist curled into a tight ball, ready to strike Her Majesty in the ribs. "Did you kill them?"

Mary Elizabeth snorted. "Believe me, I tried. Luckily for me, you took care of your mother. Your Oyster mother."

She punched the older woman's stomach, snapped a few ribs with her solid punch. The Queen gasped aloud.

"Don't you talk about her like that!"

She coughed, spitting up blood. "Like it or not, it's the truth. Your mother was a dirty whore. She used my son to get money and power. She used your father for access to Emotion Teas. Then she came crawling back to my son instead of that gangster without a cent to his name."

"My mother wouldn't use Tea!"

Mary Elizabeth scoffed. "How would you know? You impertinent little half-breed! I should have smothered you in your crib!"

"What? Killing my mother wasn't enough?" Jessica accused.

"There is no proof that Alice died of anything other than childbirth. She was a weak little Oyster after all…"

"Only because you covered it up! You let her die, didn't you? You drugged her senseless and let her bleed out!"

The Queen laughed.

"What did you do to my dad? Where is he?"

"Dead."

"When?"

"Before you even took a breath. No one quite knows what got him in the end. He had a lot of enemies, the Mad Hatter, did. And you… you and your brother look just like him. You little bastards!"

Jessica wiped the spit off her cheek. She swallowed her anger.

"It's true then. All those stories about my mother… Alice. The stories about her and the Hatter… about them saving Wonderland from you… it's all true."

"Yes. But my son was unable to get over his infatuation. So I allowed him to keep your mother. The Duchess was always there in the wings, ready to take her place as his queen. I knew your mother won't last long. What I couldn't risk was your father upsetting the balance."

"What did you do with his body? Bury him in a shallow grave like I was?"

"No, no, you idiotic girl. He disappeared. He's probably inside of a Jabberwock wherever he is. Good riddance."

Her anger boiled over. She could only take so many insults at a time, especially about her family.

And then to find out that her entire life—her whole history—was a fairy tale meant to placate a weak king…that was the tipping point. She had always known her mother's death could have been prevented. She never doubted it.

Now she had proof. Mary Elizabeth had admitted her role in Alice's murder. She'd also admitted her role in Jessica's own murder and her father's.

"Where is my brother?" she demanded. "Where are they taking Kyle?"

The Queen just laughed. And laughed.

Jessica shoved her down to the ground. Heart or not, she wasn't going to let Wonderland suffer another minute at the hands of either of its' tyrants.

"Mary Elizabeth Heart, you have been found guilty of the murder of Alice Heart, Queen of Wonderland. You have also admitted to playing a role in the murder of Jessica Heart. Do you have anything to say before I pass sentence?" Jessica demanded, picking up the sword.

The Queen didn't say. She just laughed. She was still laughing when Jessica sliced off her head with one clean stroke.

* * *

"Stay calm. No matter what happens," Connor Hatter instructed the small group with him. None of their weapons were particularly useful, but he had no choice. If he wanted to stop Damon, he needed extra help.

Chase would help him. Even if this world was different than this—a parallel world or whatnot—he had to believe Chase cared for Sarah—or in this case, Jessica.

Troops of Suits began to approach with lethal-looking guns. Some were handguns, but the vast majority where what he could only describe as single-barreled shotguns. They could be use with one hand and a pump mechanism.

Connor fired at the nearest Suit, a single to the others to disperse. The Resistance fighters slipped into the struggle with ease, lashing out brutally and violently at the Suits.

"Oi, do you want to keep your head?" one of the Suits berated, as he found himself cornered, his gun out of ammo and his hand crushed underneath one of the Suits' shoes. He could feel the joints stretching and popping—the bones breaking one-by-one.

Connor held in a scream.

"The King wants this one alive. Got that?"

A sharp kick to the ribs caused him to react like a garden-variety potato bug. He curled up, trying to protect his stomach and vital organs. His right hand stayed pinned to the dirt.

"Get up, you traitor!" snarled another Suit, kicking him repeatedly. "Did ya hear me?"

_This is for ya, Sarah…_

He was jerked off the ground, his legs dragged across the rough footing. He didn't struggle as they hauled him to the throne room. This was all part of the plan. He meant to get captured. What he didn't have was an escape plan. Kyle never inquired about one. He had a feeling that his other self knew that what he was doing was a suicide mission.

Connor didn't care. He would save his sister's world—his family's world. It was all he had left now. There was no going home.

**Author's Notes:**

God bless the invention of wireless blu-ray players! (And laptops… couldn't have done this without one of those…) Not to mention Netflix….

Why am I thanking technology? It goes like this—I'm bedridden with a nasty stomach bug. It's not a 24-hr bug. It's more like a weeklong bug. Lemme put it like this—my mum got it on Thursday and she's still got it.

Despite my attempts to avoid my mum, I contracted it on late Saturday while out of town. This meant I had to drive from one home to another at 1am because I knew I'd eventually be unable to move because of stomach pain.

It's been all downhill since then. Not a lot of eating, but plenty of sleeping and laying in bed. I can't sit at my desk, with my awesome computer and video files, so I'm stuck on my sluggish laptop (after about two videos, it'll stop working and my music files are kept on an external HD, which is still packed up). That's where the blu-ray player comes in. Aside from just watching DVDs (which I've done—watched episodes I thru IV (both parts) of _Trial & Retribution_ (a show that ALP guest-starred on in episode X ("Sins of the Father") and almost all of series 1 of _Big Bang Theory_. Hilarious comedy. Really.

Now I've got YouTube running on my blu-ray with my headphones piped into my TV screen. Lots of Alice/Hatter vids for inspiration.

Anyways, enough about me. Lemme know what you thought about the chapter. It's long and rambles and it's probably not coherent, but I love feedback.


	18. Chapter 17: Regrouping

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Alice_ – no rights, no claims, nada – it belongs to SyFy and Nick Willing. Rex, Sid, and Nancy belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures. Sarah, Connor, Damon, and Chase are my own creations.

**Chapter Seventeen: Regrouping**

Abby Maitland looked up when her colleagues entered the room. The man called Hatter was still unconscious in his hospital bed. "Did you get it?"

Cutter nodded, looking a bit weary. "I already handed it over to the doctors. They're working on it."

"Is Connor okay?"

"He's just peachy. Just a few cuts and bruises. Nothing major. Same with Stephen."

Abby sighed. "Did you figure out who Hatter is?"

"No."

"He said a name while he was out of it. He kept talking about a Sarah. Does that mean anything to you?"

"No."

"Professor, do you think this is because of the anomalies?"

With a sigh, the professor settled into a chair opposite Abby. "A lot of unusual things have been happening because of the anomalies. It's hard to say. It's possible he's from another plane or another version of our world. Or that he's lost—trapped here."

"Do you think he's really related to Connor?"

"We can't rule it out, that's for sure."

"What's Connor think?"

"Did someone call me?" her cheeky flatmate said, entering the room. He had two paper cups of tea in his hands. His jacket was covered in a bit of sludge or slime—probably from the creature they'd been chasing—but he seemed absolute normal. Well, normal for Connor.

"Just me. Do you recognize him?"

"Oh, my double? Nope, haven't a clue. I never really knew my dad, but my mum never mentioned him looking much like me…"

"So, you're not related?"

Connor shrugged, handing her one of the cups of tea. He passed the other one off to Cutter. "Not that I know of. Unless mum's been hiding a cousin or something. I don't know of any Hatters in my family."

"Now you do," Cutter said.

"Now what?"

"It looks like you've got an older brother… or a father," Abby teased. "Maybe an uncle."

"Oi, I hope not!"

"What if he is your da?"

Connor shrugged. "I don't know. I never knew my dad. He was long gone before I was born."

"Then it's possible. Right? What do you think, Professor?"

"Anything is possible. The anomalies have proven that," Cutter said, standing up. "What if your father ended up stuck in anomaly? Like Helen."

"It's possible," the younger man admitted. "He does look just like me."

"Do you think they'll be able to fix him? Stop the poison and what not?" Abby asked the professor. "I mean, if he's really Connor's dad…"

"What will me mum think? It's one thing for him to up and leave—it's another thing to explain that he's been living in an anomaly all this time."

"Don't worry, Conn, I'll help you."

"Thanks, Abs."

* * *

Sarah slowly raised her hands to indicate surrender.

The gun nosed closer.

"Don't move you little bitch," snarled the man.

A phone beeped. One of the military bozos touched an earpiece. "Yes, boss?"

"Don't shoot the little one. I still need her. I don't care what she does—I need her alive. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am." The goon tapped the earpiece. "Put that away. If she's got a bullet in her, boss is going to murder us."

The other man in black grumbled.

Sarah smirked.

He noticed her little smile. "What are you grinning at? Huh?"

"A jackass."

The gun smacked into the corner of her mouth, tearing the skin. Sarah hissed in pain, falling to her knees.

"Sarah?" Jenny called.

The oldest Hatter groaned, trying to stay conscious.

"Stay down, you little bitch."

Sarah tried not to move. They weren't going to shoot her. That meant she could cause trouble and risk an escape without getting shot. She was too important to Helen Cutter.

_God it hurts…_

Blood dripped down her face and neck from her torn lip. Forget her ribs—she would be lucky if she lived long enough to see tomorrow.

_Get up. Get up…_

She struggled to her feet as the hired thugs argued over what to do with her and with Jenny. The older woman met her eye. She was still kneeling on the ground.

Sarah blinked. _It's gonna be okay. I'm gonna fix this…_

* * *

Connor pulled the truck over on the way back to the ARC.

"Connor? Are you okay?" Becker asked.

"Fine. I just… what if it's too late?"

"We're going to get her back. Okay? We're going to get your daughter back."

He nodded, his long hair falling into his eyes. "I need to fix the anomaly opener. If I don't, she's going to kill Sarah. She's going to pick us off one by one…"

"We're going to do that, okay? Why don't we switch spots and I'll drive? We'll get to the ARC and you can work on the anomaly device. I'll get a team together and we'll track Helen."

Connor didn't speak.

"Connor?"

"Helen's gonna kill her…"

"It's going be okay. We are going to find your daughter. Helen won't get away with this."

* * *

Two thugs, one visible gun. Two women, both with free hands. Sarah started to calculate the odds.

_Screw this…_

She leapt into action without thinking it all the way through. It was typical Hatter behavior.

Sarah curled her right hand into a fist and struck the closest goon in his stomach. The military man bent over, giving her a clear shot at his face. One hit to the face broke his nose. A second knocked him out.

An arm encircled her neck from behind.

Sarah cleared her head, forcing herself to remember her training and not to panic.

_Step one—clear airway. Step two—upset the balance. Step three—twist and slip. Step four—contain the threat._

Using her left hand, Sarah jerked her attacker's hand down, clearing her airway. Her right elbow jammed into his stomach. Before he could tighten his grip again, she slipped out of his weakened grip, her left hand still gripping his wrist.

She pinned the man's right arm to his back. "Touch me again and I swear I will snap it."

Before the man could speak, Jenny appeared out of nowhere. She had a pistol in her hand. She brought it down on Helen's employee's head.

The man collapsed.

"Thanks," Sarah said, still standing. She smiled at the other woman.

"No problem. Let's go."

Jenny led the way, limping toward the interior of the ARC. Sarah jogged after her, the gun tucked into the back of her jeans.

* * *

Becker pulled the truck into the parking area of the ARC. He froze, seeing two bodies and copious amounts of blood near a van.

"Stay here," he warned Connor, slipping out of the truck on his own.

He took his gun out, approaching the two men. Both were unconscious, yet alive. One of them had a bloody nose and the other had a bruise forming on his head. The blood pools nearby didn't belong to them.

He could see the drips of blood leading toward the ARC. There was another person there, a wounded person, who walked away.

Becker picked up a high heel. It was broken. Jenny Lewis had been there.

But the blood didn't track from where the heel was. Jenny wasn't the injured person. There was another person.

"Connor, it's clear."

The other man joined him. "What happened?"

"I think your friend is here. With Jenny."

"What about Helen?"

"I don't think she's here," Becker said. "But someone's injured. It's not Jenny. There's another person here. The older Sarah, maybe."

Connor seemed to perk up. "Ya think?"

Becker nodded. "Just stay behind me, okay?"

"Sure."

The two moved into the ARC. Becker followed the blood stains right into Connor's lab. He motioned for the other man to stay still as he cracked open the door.

"What did Helen do?" Jenny asked, her voice carrying to Becker's attuned ears.

"She ambushed the team. We were at an anomaly site. She shot Dr. Page and the blonde…umm, Abby?" another voice replied, one similar in tone to Connor's, albeit with a thicker accent.

"Abby was shot?"

"Yeah… Helen killed them, I think. All I remember is action man forcing me back into the truck. Then it goes black and I'm knocking at the door with a gun in my back. You know the rest…"

Becker moved closer to the lab, trying to get a line of sight on the occupants.

"So if you're not Sarah Temple… who are you?"

"My name's Sarah Hatter. I'm trying to find my family. My brother and I were stepping through—I guess you know them as anomalies—when we were separated. I fell down and landed in the future. That's where I met Helen. She dragged me here and told Connor I was his daughter."

"Sarah—that's his daughter's name as well."

"Yeah. But I'm not. I mean—he looks just like my dad and my brother. Younger than da and older than Connor."

"Connor?" Jenny sounded confused.

"That's my brother's name. Connor. He's a computer geek and he loves dinosaurs."

"Just like Connor…Temple."

Becker stepped into the room, gun in hand. "Jenny? You all right?"

She looked up. "Becker! What are—what took you so long?"

He lowered the gun. "It's safe, Connor. You can come in."

"Connor's here?" the dark-haired girl, the other Sarah, asked. She looked up, moving in a blur even though she was bleeding.

She attacked the computer geek in a hug. "I'm so sorry… so sorry… about Sarah…" she murmured.

"It's okay. It's okay… I know…"

"Helen has her. She wanted to send you a message—she was going to kill Jenny. But not me… she had something planned for me."

Connor smiled at her sadly. "Don't worry. Becker's going to call in the troops. We're going to get her back and I'm going to get you home. I promise."

Sarah nodded. Becker took a deep breath. _This isn't going to end well._

* * *

Confusion sank in as his eyes opened.

David Hatter slowly adjusted to the hospital room. Everything was a bit of a haze as he took in the sight of the blonde girl chatting with the dark-haired boy—Connor. His son.

He tried to sit up. But a hand pushed him back down.

"Take it easy, Mr. Hatter. You were poisoned two days ago. Don't rush yourself," a man with a Scottish brogue insisted.

"Sarah… where's Sarah…?" he muttered.

"Connor, he's awake."

The boy hurried into view. "Hey… you okay?"

"Conn, where's your sister? Where's Sarah…?"

"Sarah? What are you talkin' about?"

"Sarah… where's Sarah? Sarah…"

Hatter tried to sit up again. The other man held him down. "Settle down…"

His son looked over. "It's okay, Professor. He's just disoriented."

"Where's Sarah…?"

"Who's Sarah?" Connor asked.

"Your sister…. Where's Sarah?"

"I don't know a Sarah."

Hatter closed his brown eyes for a moment. "Where are we?"

"In a hospital. In London."

"What's the year?" Hatter asked.

"Umm… 2008?"

"Ya sure?"

Connor nodded. "Yeah. It's 2008. Has it been a while since you've been here… da?"

Hatter tried not to smile. It was nice to be called dad again. Ever since the mirror broke, he'd wondered if he'd ever see his children again. Now he knew he would—he might have even found Connor.

"Umm, I don't know how to explain this, but I'm from the future. About twenty years or so in the future."

"Really?" Connor's eyes lit up. "What's it like in twenty years?"

"About the same. Not much has changed. Why don't you remember New York?"

"New York? Connor's never left the UK!" the blonde girl scoffed.

"Have too!"

"Yeah, when?"

"Loads of times!"

"Name one!"

"Connor…I need you to help me find Sarah. This must be a mess-up with the mirror—the time changes. I need to find Sarah right away. Then we need to get back to Wonderland."

''Wonderland?" Abby and Connor echoed.

**Author's Notes:**

Daddy Hatter's awake and alive, Sarah's out of trouble at the moment, and Connor's got some help. The next chapter will be set in Wonderland. As always, please review!


	19. Chapter 18: Allies and Enemies

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** If it seems familiar, it's probably not mine. The creatures, anomalies, and Helen, etc. belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures. Hatter, Alice, and Wonderland goodness belong to Lewis Carroll, Nick Willing, and SyFy.

**Chapter Eighteen: Allies and Enemies**

Damon Heart stood up as his least favorite person in all of Wonderland was dragged to his feet. His least favorite _living_ person that was. The other person was buried in a shallow grave.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in," he mocked.

Kyle didn't move from where he had been tossed. He cradled his broken right hand to his chest, but didn't even look up from the deep red carpet.

"I'm talking to you, Kyle. You ungrateful—"

"Oh, stuff it," he grumbled. "I didn't come all this way for you to insult me. I just want my sister back."

"That's it? Your sister?"

His young-looking stepbrother nodded. "I just want to know what you did to Jessica. I don't care about anything else. Go ahead—burn Wonderland to the ground. See if I care."

"Jessica is gone. Long, long gone." _Just like you will be. No one will ever notice that you're gone, Kyle. No one cares about you anymore…_

"Did you kill her?"

Damon laughed. "What makes you think that I would confirm or deny your ridiculous theory?"

"I know you're a killer. I know what you're capable of. I've seen it. I've lived it. All I want to know is why Jessica hasn't managed to stop you."

"Your sweet, innocent sister can't protect you, Kyle. She's not here to take your punishments for you this time."

"Where is she?"

Damon stepped closer, examining his stepbrother. The years had been kind to Kyle Hatter. Even living in the forest hadn't aged him. He didn't look a day older than he had fifteen years ago. "You don't really care about Jessica. That's not why you came back after fifteen years of living like the coward you are. No, no… you've got a plan, don't you?"

The King tore the injured right hand away from Kyle's chest. He stomped on it, crushing the broken bones further. Kyle screamed, agony filling his face.

"What is your plan, hmm? Overthrow me with your little rag-tag bunch? No, you're smart enough to know that you would fail. You _wanted_ to be caught, didn't you?"

Damon stood back up, circling around his stepbrother. "Now, why would you want to be caught? What could possibly be in my castle that you would want to get your grubby little paws on?"

He spun around, staring at the dark-haired outcast. The black sheep of the Heart family, had he even been a Heart. He was the weakest member of the family. Everyone in Wonderland knew it. That was why Kyle always hid behind his sister—Jessica kept him from being beaten to a bloody pulp on more than one occasion.

"The sword. You want the Vorpal Sword," Damon guessed.

Kyle looked up. He had a grim smile plastered to his sun-streaked face. "Maybe, maybe not."

"Fine. I know what to do with you. Summon the doctors. I need a little bit of information—some Truth if you will—from this half-blood. Disgusting piece of Oyster garbage," Damon hissed, spitting on Kyle's face.

The other man didn't even blink. He didn't seem fazed at all by the insults.

For some reason, it unsettled Damon.

* * *

With warm blood dripping down her skin, Jessica tied off her makeshift rope ladder. It wouldn't be long before the alarm was raised. She needed to get to the ground before an intrepid Suit cut the rope. It would be a long, deadly fall if the rope gave way too soon.

After yanking on a change of clothes—there was no way she was climbing barefoot and in a silk nightgown—and sturdy shoes, Jessica slipped the bloody sword into her belt. The sharp blade rubbed against the leather and banged into her slide. She ignored the pain as she gripped the rope.

Hand over hand, she slipped down the rope, her legs crossed at her ankles to help support her weight.

"She's down there! Get her!" an angry male voice shouted from above. A Suit.

Jessica didn't stop moving. She locked her arms around the rope, letting the sheets slip through her grasp as she tumbled down.

"Cut it!"

But the Suits were too slow. She'd already hit the grass below before the sheet crumpled down behind her.

"Shoot her! Kill her!"

* * *

The Truth Room never changed much, even though it was now housed in a new building. Dr. Dee and Dr. Dum both survived the collapse of the Hearts Casino prior to Damon's birth. They continued to support their Queen, the one true Queen in their minds, even after her arrest.

In the shadows, they served her, until her grandson rose to power.

Then they took their place beside the throne. They became the royal executioners and torturers.

To thank them for their loyalty, King Damon promised to give them a Hatter. It had been his stepmother, Alice Hamilton Heart, who let their prize escape all those decades ago. The Mad Hatter was long dead, but his descendants would pay the price.

King Damon delivered on his promise. The last living Hatter, a son, was in their playroom. A son that looked just like their escaped quarry.

His dangerous right hand had already been destroyed, leaving him helpless. The doctors smiled at that. Hatter's son could scream and fight until his little heart gave out. He wouldn't escape. No, not this time.

With the sharp electric charge of a cattle prod, Hatter's son was awake and screaming.

* * *

On the second floor of the palace, Chase Heart headed for his father's old library. With Damon up to his usual tricks, he preferred to stay out of the way. That meant many hours spent alone in the library surrounded by dusty volumes rescued from the Great Library.

He poured a cup of a tea from a waiting kettle and then found a good chair. He picked up his book, settling in for a long day. Damon would be busy in the throne room until close to dinner. He would enjoy the silence before his older brother pitched a hissy fit about one thing or another.

Chase only made it a page or two until a hand covered his mouth.

"Don't scream. It's just me… Kyle. I'm not here to hurt you. I need your help."

"Mmph!"

"If you promise not to scream, I'll let go, okay?"

"Mmm!"

The hand dropped. Chase took a deep breath.

"I need you to help me overthrow Damon."

"What? Are you crazy?"

"No. We need to do this. He murdered my sister. He needs to be stopped. Jess would want us to stop him. She died trying to stop him," Kyle said, trying to keep his voice low.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. She's dead. He buried her out in the woods. An unmarked grave."

"Why not just say she died?" Chase asked, horrified that his brother could kill their half-sister and dump her body so coldly.

Kyle came around the chair. He sat beside Chase. "Then she'd be a martyr for our cause. Her death would be used against him. It was better to make us both disappear."

"Damon wants to kill you?"

"Yes. Now that I'm outta the woods, I'm next on his list. I'm not going down without a fight. I need your help to stop Damon."

"I don't know…"

Kyle groaned. "Chase, you're my last hope. I need someone on the inside to bring him down. Please. He murdered my sister. Please…"

Chase looked down at his book then up at his half-brother. "I… oh, fine. I'll help you."

* * *

Jessica jumped to her feet as a spray of bullets bit into the ground. With an arm over her head, she ran around the corner of the palace.

The woods. If she could get to the woods, she could climb a tree and escape her pursuers. It was easy to vanish in the wilds of Wonderland. All she needed to do was reach the woods where she'd once been left for dead.

Her blonde hair flew out behind her like a banner as she bolted toward the royal stables. A few horses were tied to a hitching post in front of the stables.

She eyed a bay still wearing a bridle but no saddle.

In a split second decision, Jessica vaulted herself onto the bay's back. She tugged the reins loose from the post, her legs urging the horse forward.

With a snort, the bay broke into a trot.

"C'mon, c'mon…" she grumbled, pushing the reluctant horse into a fast-moving canter. Her body rocked in time with the horse's fluid step. It had been a long time since she'd sat astride a horse, but her muscles remembered what to do.

They crashed into the woods, the horse panicking a bit at the Vorpal Sword banging into its side.

"Halt!" a voice shouted, a rather foul-looking Wonderlander aiming an assault weapon at horse and rider.

The bay spooked, unceremoniously dumping Jessica in the mud, the sword still belted to her side. The horse disappeared into the underbrush, leaving her alone to deal with the new threat.

"Who are you?" the man growled.

Jessica brushed her jeans off, one hand on the pommel of the heavy sword. "You first."

"You came from the castle, didn't you? Now, why would a pretty young thing like you be fleeing the castle in the wee hours of the morning?"

"That's none of your business."

The man smiled crooked at her. His wire-rimmed glasses were grimy and cracked. He'd been living in the woods for some time, probably like her brother had. "Let's see… young, physically attractive, good size chest… and blonde. Hmm, why you must have been a guest of our esteemed King of Hearts, Damon…"

Jessica bristled at the name. "Actually, no. And I certainly wasn't there for _that_. Who do you work for?"

"Myself, of course."

She snorted. "You work for the King, don't you?"

"That depends on which King you mean…"

"What are you… oh, no."

The old man grinned. "I support King Jack still. I knew him well as a boy. I also knew both his wives. It's a pity Alice died so suddenly… so young…"

_Mum…_

"Who are you?"

"I know very well who I am, but who… are… you…?"

"Alice," she lied, her dead mother's name rolling off her tongue with ease. "Alice Liddell."

"Pleasure to see you once again, Alice Liddell. My, you've grown."

"It's been a good many years."

"One would think so, especially since it has been almost two hundred years since your last visit." The grin grew. "You're not Alice, my dear. Who are you?"

Jessica frowned. She mentally ran through the short list of people who actually knew the real Alice, the little lost girl from England, all those years ago. Most of them had passed in recent years. That left one old wise codger that she knew of—one man sly enough to escape the chopping block time and again.

"You're the man they call Caterpillar, aren't you?"

"That I am, my dear. But we still haven't answered the question of your identity."

"I guessed your name. You can guess mine."

Caterpillar laughed, a hoarse, coarse sound from centuries of smoking hookah. "Let's see… you do bear a resemblance to Miss Liddell, rest her soul, though it's covered up by another Alice I knew well. You're Alice Hamilton's daughter, aren't you?"

She nodded. "Yes. Did you know her well?"

"Not well enough. I only met her the once. After that, it became too dangerous. I knew her… ahmph, lover by reputation. An admirable man, your father, the Hatter."

"Is he dead? My father?"

Caterpillar looked directly in her brown eyes. "No, no, my dear. The Hatter is very much alive."

**Author's Notes:**

We finally meet Alt-Chase! Yay! And no, he doesn't know that Kyle is his stepbrother. He still thinks they're half-sibs. Damon didn't tell him.

Connor's in a world of trouble. "Kyle" in Damon's section is really Connor. Confusing, iddn't?

Hope you enjoy the little scene with Caterpillar! He's gone a bit, well, native.

Thanks for reading and please, please, review!


	20. Chapter 19: The ARC Team

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except for a stack of DVDs and tons of handwritten notes, sadly.

**Chapter Nineteen: The ARC Team**

"Come with me, Sarah. I need your help," Connor said, taking her hand. His fingers had blistered from his early burns, but he ignored the pain. There were more pressing matters than a bit of first aid.

"What are we gonna do?"

"You and me… we're going to get the opener back online. Then, we're going back. We're going to stop Helen Cutter."

"But what if we disrupt the time line?"

"Sarah, if you ended up here, in the past, instead of in your…home, then the time line's already been mucked up. We're going to fix it. But I'm going to need your help to find the right anomaly."

She nodded, her face grim. "I'll help you. But what about Becker? He needs help. I'm a good fighter. I'm the fighter—my brother is the nerd."

"I know, but trust me. You'll be more help to me than Becker."

Sarah sighed. "I don't know anything about anomalies."

"But you know how to travel through them. Please, Sarah, I'm begging you…"

Brown eyes stared into brown eyes. Sarah knew she couldn't refuse, especially if they stood a chance at stopping Helen and saving her family and Connor's. As much as she wanted to fight, her place was with Connor. If the anomalies were like the Looking Glass, she needed to fix them. She needed to get back home.

"I'll help you, but if things get dicey, Connor, I need you to run. Jump through an anomaly or whatever. I don't care, but you need to get out alive. You're the only one who can save my family. If it comes down to one of us dying, you need to get out. For my family and yours."

He nodded solemnly. "I promise."

"Then let's get to work on this machine of yours."

* * *

"Yes, Wonderland!" Hatter said, staring at his son and the blonde girl. "Where else would we go? Your sister is missing."

"I don't have a sister…not one that I know about."

Hatter closed his eyes, pushing his headache away. "We need to go. Your mum is still there. If we don't get going, there's a chance she could die. We need to find Sarah and get back home."

"My mum? She's fine… don't you rememb—" Connor started, then stopped. "Wait. You're not… you're not my dad, are you?"

He winced, trying to sit up in the hospital bed. "O' course I am. How could you even ask that?"

"But I don't remember you."

"Oi, this is like a bloody nightmare." Hatter swung his legs over the side of the bed. He moaned. "I'm getting too old for this time and space jumping."

"What?" Abby, the girl, asked. She seemed interested in him.

"The Looking Glass—honestly, what do they teach you in those schools?"

"Arithmetic," Connor said sourly.

"Shakespeare," Abby added.

"It's a miracle you two can even read or write, isn't it?" the older man marveled. "Even Connor here can't seem to write a halfway decent thesis. No matter how many revisions he does, it rambles off and stops making sense by page three."

Hatter smirked. That sounded like his son, although Connor was better at writing papers. It was Sarah who would ramble.

"You've never read past page one!" Connor insisted.

"I don't need to."

"Can we finish this another time? If this… if Hatter is right, then time's important. Professor, there has to be something we can do," Abby said, pleading with the other man.

"Like what? Buy a copy of a children's storybook?"

Hatter slipped off the bed, rummaging in a tiny closet for his clothes. They smelled a bit funky, but considering he'd been on the run and then been attacked by some crazy creature, he didn't care. He just wanted to find his family and get back home alive.

He slipped into his trousers as the trio continued to argue.

"Professor, please. He's obviously confused. We need to help him," Connor insisted. "What if he's just out of place, like Helen was? Or what if he's… he's been changed, like what was her name?"

"Claudia," the older man said softly. "Claudia Brown. She was there, then she wasn't. And now we've got Jenny Lewis, her spitting image, but not her."

"Exactly!" the young student said. "What if he's like you—and I'm his Claudia?"

"What are you talkin' about?" Abby asked, frowning at her flat mate.

"What if I'm a version of his son? What if someone changed something all those years ago, changed the course of evolution, and changed me? What if I did have a sister? What then?"

"Connor, did you hit your head or somethin'?"

"No, I… I'm just thinkin'… what if he's tellin' the truth?"

Hatter couldn't help but smile at his son's words. He shrugged into a shirt, still listening to their conversation. He didn't know this Claudia person, but her name seemed to have meaning to all three of them. Whatever worked to get him back home to his family.

* * *

Connor's flat-paneled console was wrecked. It seemed similar to a computer to Sarah's untrained eyes. Connor insisted it was more than a simple computer.

"It's a time map of sorts," Connor explained, a screwdriver in hand. "It shows every single anomaly there is—every one that ever will be. It's a predictor of sorts."

"So this… machine can help get me home?"

"If we can get it fixed, then all we have to do is find the proper anomaly. Upload the coordinates like songs into an iPod, and volia… instant anomaly."

"How hard is it gonna be to fix?"

Connor sighed. "The trouble is… I smashed it up a good bit for Helen."

"Does the device store all the possible routes on it?"

"Nah, I haven't gotten that far."

Sarah lifted up a crate of spare parts. "What if we input the information on another computer? Used that to load the map up. Then we could pick a route, transfer it to the device, and get outta here."

He looked up, smiling at her. "Splendid! Why didn't I think o' that?"

"Umm, how about I dig out the piece… while you do the computer, yeah?"

He handed over the screwdriver. "It's like a memory card of sorts. A little data chip. It's blue in color."

"Easy enough to find. You just work your magic on the computer. I'll have this dismantled in no time."

* * *

Captain Becker called all of his troops to the armory. After getting them all armed up with vests and guns, he ordered them to sit.

"As many of you already know, two of our own were murdered earlier today. Dr. Sarah Page and Abby Maitland-Temple were gunned down by Helen Cutter. All of you are aware of Helen Cutter and her vendetta against the ARC. She has her eyes on Connor Temple. In addition to murdering his wife, Helen has stolen his daughter."

Murmurs swept through the assembled group of men and women.

"You all have seen little Sarah Temple from time-to-time with her mum and dad. She was born in an anomaly and spent the first years of her life there. Now that little girl's life is on the line. Her father's life is on the line as well. Helen Cutter won't stop until she sees everyone connected to the ARC destroyed."

Becker took a deep breath. "It is up to you—all of you—to protect the ARC and those who work here. We are the last line of defense against Helen. We are going to stop her before she kills again."

* * *

Hatter faced the group in his hospital room. He was dressed once again. "It's the truth. The truth as I know it. If I had proof, I'd give it to ya. As it is, all I have is an old photograph."

He took out his wallet. In a plastic sleeve, crinkled and worn, was a family portrait. There were four people in the picture—Hatter, a dark-haired woman in a blue dress, a young man who looked like Connor, and a girl with a hat perched sideways on unruly dark hair.

"Connor, it's you!" the girl cried, taking a hold of the photograph. "And that… that must be Sarah."

"Blimey, it is me!"

Hatter suppressed a smile at his son's enthusiasm.

"Where are you from?" the Scottish man asked. "Time and place. What's it like?"

"My home is in New York City. It's 2030. Sarah and Connor just turned twenty. Alice and I own a set of tea shops. A Taste of Wonderland, it's called. We have an employee from Wonderland as well—a Chase Heart. He's traveling with my wife. The three of us separated after Connor and Sarah vanished."

"So you're like, from the future!" Connor sounded very excited. "Wicked!"

"I guess. But I need to get back to my family. I need to get back to Wonderland. I think your anomalies have happened there as well. I mean there's Rex and Sid and Nancy. All kinds of other wondrous creatures. What if Wonderland's just been another anomaly?" Hatter said.

"We can't open the anomalies. We can't control them," Abby said.

"Then I'm stuck with you until you can. Maybe there will be an anomaly leading to my home…"

Hatter looked excited at the prospect of getting home. He'd always enjoyed traveling, even if it was just between worlds.

The Scottish man cleared his throat. "Are you saying you want to join us?"

"I guess so. I mean, this isn't really my world, is it? If I got back to New York right now, is there going to be two of me? Or will I fade?"

"No one knows."

"The Looking Glass sent me here. I don't know why. Something's gone wrong between the worlds. I think if we work together, we can fix it. I can help you understand the anomalies. Then you can help me get home."

The older man took Hatter's hand, shaking it. "Then it's a deal, Mr. Hatter. Welcome to the ARC team."

**Author's Notes:**

Here's hoping this chapter makes sense! I'm on a _Doctor Who_ kick and I have a mild sinus infection (again…sadly). It's getting closer to merging some of our scattered heroes together. What's everyone think of Hatter joining the ARC… as well as Sarah and Connor Temple working together? Interesting mix-ups, huh?

Anyways, please, please review!


	21. Chapter 20: Caterpillar's Clue

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, nothing.

**Chapter Twenty: Caterpillar's Clue**

"Alive?"

Jessica felt her heart skip a few beats. Was it possible that her father was still alive? All of the stories and rumors she'd heard over time insisted that the Mad Hatter died before she was even born. He disappeared into the wilderness, presumably murdered. The King of Hearts ordered his death.

Across from her, Caterpillar looked up through his eyeglasses. "Yes, my dear Miss Hatter. Your father is alive."

"Where is he? Where's my dad?"

"He's been spotted a few times across Wonderland. The most recent sighting was at the Looking Glass. He just missed being captured by a group of Suits."

"Is he okay? My dad?"

_Dad… I like that name. Dad. Not "father" or "Your Highness"… just plain dad. I could get used to that…_

"So far, there's no news about his condition. Given his unique situation, no news is good news. No news means he is most likely still alive and unharmed."

"How do I find him?"

Caterpillar took her hand in his. "Just listen to your instincts. Trust in yourself, Miss Hatter. You will find your way."

She frowned. "But I don't even know what he looks like!"

"He will know you. After all, you are Alice's daughter. He'll know who you are…he's a smart man, the Hatter."

"But—"

He pressed a cool piece of metal into her palm. "Take this. As long as you have it, there's no way he will be able to deny who you are."

Jessica uncurled her hand to stare in wonder at a small ring. A large diamond was set in the middle, flanked by sapphires. An engagement or wedding ring. The stones caught the light with ease.

She slipped the ring onto her left hand. It fit perfectly.

"Who's ring was it?" she asked, looking up.

The Caterpillar was gone.

* * *

"Ahhh!" Connor yelped, jerking against the leather straps holding him down.

The electric current traveled through his entire body, shocking him. It jolted him, further damaging his wounded right hand. He screamed again.

Two identical men crossed in front of him. One of the men carried a cattle prod. At least, Connor thought it was a cattle prod. He wasn't entirely sure what it was.

Frankly, he didn't want to know. He just wanted to get out of this strange room and find his sister. His plan had been to get caught—not get tortured. Even death would be better than being trapped with these two freakshows.

_"They called themselves Dr. Dee and Dr. Dum," his mother said one night after dinner. "They were identical twins with a sick bent. They love torture and mind games. With me, they put me in the past—in my old house. Back when my father disappeared. I felt like a little girl again as they forced me into his study. Once there, the floor gave way. _

_"All I had left was one board… one slender board that slowly fell down the empty space. They kept asking about the ring… the Stone of Wonderland. I lied to them about where it was to buy to time. I didn't have a plan…" Alice admitted, looking over to their father._

_"I didn't either. But we did it—we got out of their trap. But I had to face them again. All I had was memories to keep me going. Memories of your mum. I fought them for her. I endured their twisted games and cattle prods. I even broke free and faced my old friend, Mad March. It's all about inner strength and having something worth fighting for," Hatter said. _

Another shock jolted Connor back to the present. He screamed again, a mixture of pain and shock.

Laughter rang in his ears. The demented twins. Drs. Dee and Dum.

Torturers. Murderers.

Connor knew their plan. He knew what the doctors planned to do. They meant to kill him. Even if they had their fun first, their ultimate goal was his death. If they made the connection to his father, they would draw out his death.

_Just like they planned to kill my dad all those years ago. Slowly and painfully. _

* * *

The two newfound allies went over Damon's usual schedule. They discussed the formation of the guards and the different Suit shifts. They spoke about escape routes and other odds and ends.

"Right, that should be a good start." Kyle stood up, stretching a bit. He'd been sitting in conference with his half-brother for close to three hours.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Chase asked, still on edge over his decision to overthrow his brother.

"It has to. Damon murdered my sister. He's going to destroy what's left of Wonderland. Hell, he's already wiped out parts of it completely."

"He has?"

"Entire villages gone. Whole families wiped out. And now I've heard rumors that Damon wants to bring Oysters back for emotion-harvesting. Plus he's started a few other unsavory enterprises. Human trafficking and prostitution for starters. We can't allow him to rule Wonderland, Chase. We have to stop him."

"What's human trafficking?"

"It when people, usually females, are taken from their homes and sold into slavery. Sometimes it's just across town lines, sometimes it's between worlds. It's like prostitution—sex for money—except these people are forced into it. They have no choice."

"How do you know all this?" Chase asked. He'd read about both in novels smuggled in from the other side of the Looking Glass.

"I've been around. I've seen the victims of his policies. I even knew some of the missing girls' families. While you sit here with your hands over your eyes, I'm out there in the world. I know the little people. The ones that Damon would rather kill."

"I'm sorry, Kyle… it's just what do we do about it? How do we stop Damon without ending up dead?"

"Just stick to the plan. I'll contact you."

* * *

Damon Heart headed up to check on his grandmother and Miss Ana of Diamonds. He went upstairs along. The group of Suits who usually followed him sealed off the stairs to the next level. There was a second set of Suits patrolling the hallway in order to secure the blonde temptress.

But his men weren't there. Instead of orderly patrols, chaos had broken loose.

He strolled down the plush hallway with a purpose. His jacket flapped in the breeze he created.

"What is the meaning of all this… commotion?" Damon demanded of the first Suit he encountered.

"Your Majesty! It's bad news, I'm afraid. Ana of Diamonds has escaped…"

"Where is the Queen of Hearts?"

The Suit looked down at the floor, quaking a bit in his shoes. "Dead, Your Highness. Her Majesty was brutally slain."

"What?"

He swept passed his lackey and into the suite occupied by Ana. A few more Suits filled the room, one of which had his upper body hanging out the window. In the center of the lavish room, lying on the rug in a pool of blood, was his grandmother.

Her head lay a few feet away, completely detached from her body.

Ana's bloody clothes were in a heap. The little blonde bitch was gone.

"Find her!" he roared.

"Yes, Your Highness," the Suits agreed, looking embarrassed. "We'll find her."

"If by some miracle, you bring her back alive… put her in the game room."

They nodded in deference to their leader and splintered off from the bedroom suite. Once they were gone, Damon picked up the head of his grandmother, his mentor, his advisor.

"She will suffer for this," he said softly. "I'll make her wish over and over again for death. But I won't give it to her. She'll stay alive until I'm finished with her. Then I'll kill her, just to bring her back."

**Author's Notes:**

Spooky, eh? I couldn't resist making Damon's dealings a bit darker. And he was rather close to his grandmother. She was almost a mother to him.

In other _Alice_-ish news… there's an indie film released last year called _Malice in Wonderland_ that reminded me a bit of _Alice_ more than other adaptations I've seen. Wonderland's very upside-down and Alice (a blonde American lost in London) ends up there with a lorry-driving motor-mouth named Whitey (a hat-wearing, criminal version of the White Rabbit—very much like our favorite Hatter). He's her guide through the insane underworld. There's the Ugly Duchess (who uses cameras to keep an eye on all of Wonderland), Hattie (a female Mad Hatter who runs a brothel), Harry (the King/Queen of Hearts), some amusement park workers (including the leader, Gonzo, who is like Mad March to Whitey if Whitey was Hatter), and even a trial. There's a drug trade too, but not like Tea. It's worth a watch – Netflix has it.

I'm sick, so I'm watching a lot of TV – mostly Netflixed stuff and _Doctor Who _and _Torchwood_, but today I flipped on the regular cable and I'm rewatching Lifetime's adaptation of Patricia Cornwell's _At Risk_ and _The Front_. And soon enough, I'm cocking my head at the screen staring at one of the actors. The guy who plays Monique Lamont's (the D.A.) assistant of sorts is none other than the Ten of Clubs, minus the dorky hat!

Anyways, that's enough rambling from me. Sinus infections are not good for my brain or my eyesight. Hopefully in the next few days I'll be back to myself. Thanks for reading and please review!


	22. Chapter 21: Leap of Faith

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own anything awesome. Just the original characters.

**Chapter Twenty-one: Leap of Faith**

Hatter enjoyed his new job and his new co-workers. There were a lot of similarities between Connor Temple and his own son—aside from the painfully obvious physically similarities—and even some minor personality quirks of his flatmate, Abby Maitland, resembled Sarah.

Connor liked to spend time with Hatter and teach him about anomalies and the work they did. The younger man had a boundless enthusiasm and a severe lack of a father figure. Nick Cutter, the professor in charge of the ARC project, seemed the closest thing to a father the team had.

After his first three months, the division of the team was clear. Nick was the team leader and unofficial "father", Stephen Hart the older brother, Abby Maitland the young, quirky sister, while Connor was the geeky, little brother. Over time, Hatter had become the team's cool uncle, while Lester, the "boss", was the standoffish in-law.

"Hatter, we were gonna grab some chips down at the pub," Connor called. "Wanna come?"

He smiled at college student. "Not tonight, Conn. Give Abby my love."

The young man blushed. "Sure, I… I'll do that."

Hatter watched Connor scurry off to join his waiting flatmate in front of one of the labs. The blonde waved to Hatter. He smiled back at her through the window. The pair disappeared together, Connor trying unsuccessfully to hold her hand.

The attraction between Connor and Abby was obvious to everyone at the ARC except them. Even Nick grumbled about it occasionally.

Of the entire team, Nick Cutter was the least welcoming member. He grudgingly accepted Hatter's help and knowledge of anomalies. Cutter even seemed to admire his willingness to step through the anomalies and investigate. Unless they were at an anomaly site, Nick usually avoided Hatter.

After his first two weeks at the ARC, it became apparent that he would be staying in the UK a bit longer than he planned. It had been Lester who stepped in, offering to help get paperwork set up for him and bank accounts.

Hatter joined the ARC payroll as "David Temple". His first name was common enough that Lester suggested they keep it. It was his unusual surname that caused problems. Connor had jumped in quickly and offered his own, since they bore a striking resemblance.

Lester got the paperwork straightened out, making him Connor's uncle instead of father to avoid causing confusion with Connor's mother and British authorities.

Despite the legal name change, all of Hatter's co-workers still called him "Hatter" to avoid confusion with Connor. Only Nick called him David. Even Lester didn't address him as "Mr. Temple" because invariably, both Hatter and Connor would appear.

_"One of you was bad enough. Now I'm stuck with two of you, Temple…" Lester bemoaned after summoning "Mr. Temple" to his office one day. _

_Hatter and Connor shared a smile. Jenny Lewis had schooled Hatter on responding to his new name the previous week—calling out a variety of names in order to get his attention, as well as asking him various questions regarding his new name and identity._

_The end result was Lester threatening to name them "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" in order to separate them. To which Connor suggested, "Why not Temple 1 and Temple 2?"_

_"Get out of my office, Temple! Both of you!"_

Then again, Hatter always had trouble with authority figures. It was in his nature to cause trouble.

Even three months at the ARC could only do so much to his personality. He stayed as upbeat as possible, got a collection of wacky hats and vests. He even taught Connor hat tricks in exchange for skateboarding and computer lessons.

Hatter made the best of his situation. Connor had reproduced and blown up all the photographs from his wallet. His family watched him at work from framed pictures and at home in his small flat down the block from Connor and Abby's place.

His make-shift life changed drastically at one of the anomaly sites during his fourth month.

After hunting overnight for a loose creature in the water, only to just rescue Jenny from its jaws, Hatter had overslept and slept through several calls from Cutter, Connor, and Stephen. It was almost one o'clock when he finally woke up.

He listened to his voicemail as he pulled on clean trousers and a shirt. His vest and jacket were thrown haphazardly on and left hanging open with a scarf—a must for warmth in London—only looped once around his neck. Hatter didn't even bother with food or taming his hair. He ran from his flat.

The anomaly site they were investigating was a short motorbike drive away. He drove like a hellion, weaving in and out of traffic.

_Alice would kill me if she saw…_

He parked the bike near Cutter's truck. He could see Lester's vehicle in the small lot as well.

Hatter frowned as he walked down the pier. A small group was gathered near a boat. He could see Lester, Jenny, some Home Office cronies, military guys, Cutter, Stephen, and Connor.

Connor was being held still by Stephen.

"Why isn't anyone doing anythin'?" Connor shouted, still fighting the older man's hold.

His pace quickened, the pieces clicking in his head. Abby was missing. She was the only member of the team not standing on the dock. Connor's girl had vanished.

_This is not supposed to happen…_

* * *

A bit further on in the future, Sarah and Connor continued their work in his lab. As promised, Sarah retrieved the blue data chip from the remains of console.

Connor was busy rigging up a connector cable for the handheld opener to his laptop. He messed with wires and fitting devices to allow the device to collect data. The chip was in the side of the laptop and a program open and running through the routes.

"Give me it," she demanded, a hand out for the opener.

Connor didn't question her. He just handed over the device.

Sarah looked all over the device, praying there was a secondary port to link the device. When she was about to give up, she noticed a tiny plastic panel screwed in place.

Using the screwdriver she'd claimed earlier, she revealed a port. She stared at it for a moment, trying to think what the port looked the most like.

"Oh, brilliant!" Connor praised, kissing her on the cheek in his excitement. "iPod port… don't suppose you have a cable on ya?"

"Actually, I might…"

She ran to her backpack, rummaging in the deep pockets for her electronic devices. Her Connor liked to toss in extra cables on trips—sometimes he stole power from one device to feed another—especially when they were in Wonderland.

It took a moment for her to retrieve a white-colored cable. "Got it!"

Connor caught it easily when she tossed it across the lab. He plugged the device into his laptop's USB port.

"It's workin'!"

Sarah smiled, almost giddy. They would still need to play with the various anomalies, but at least they could load the device up. That was one giant leap closer to getting her home.

But first, they needed to jump in the past and stop Helen Cutter. Connor had explained part of his plan as they'd worked. They would need the rest of the ARC team to succeed.

Including Connor's dead boss.

* * *

"Your daddy's being a very naughty boy," Helen Cutter muttered, glancing over at the sleeping toddler. The ARC camera system had been hijacked and routed to her laptop. She watched as a miniature Connor and Sarah raced around a lab, tossing bits of metal, wires, and computer parts at each other.

Seeing an anomaly flicker to life in the lab, plus a shared high-five between father and daughter pushed her over the edge.

"You're a clever bitch. But don't worry… I know what you're thinking."

And Helen was about to raise the stakes and blindside the remaining Temples.

* * *

An explosion shook the structure of the ARC.

"Is that normal?" Sarah asked.

"No. Get your bag."

"Where are we going?"

Connor didn't talk, he just grabbed her arm. She followed him without hesitation, her backpack slung over one shoulder.

They entered the main room of the ARC, where the rest of the team was supposed to be stationed. A few soldiers remained, each with the ARC patch sewn onto their uniforms. The good guys.

Except that one by one, the good guys were overwhelmed by multiple copies of the same man with a cleft chin. A clone. An army of clones with black stocking caps, headsets, automatic weapons, and black military uniforms almost identical to the ARC security force's.

"Run!" Connor shouted, giving her a shove.

"Who are they?"

"Not now!"

They pushed through a set of swinging doors and into the interior maze of the ARC. Footsteps and gunfire followed them.

Sarah rounded a corner, only to smack into Connor's back. He yelped in surprise, shoving her back in the direction they'd come from. "Go!" he shouted.

She looked over his shoulder, seeing more of the same man stalking them from the other direction now. They were being lured into a trap. Soon, they would be cornered.

"A lab! Find a lab!" she urged, the two of them breaking into a run once again.

The nearest open lab became a refuge. Connor flipped a door lock.

"Get down. They might not have seen us."

Sarah crawled into a dark corner. Connor followed her. They were both breathing hard from their sudden workout.

All was silent for a few minutes before the door to their shelter flew open, a booted foot appearing.

Sarah tried to hold her breath. It wasn't working. She could still hear herself gasping for air; Connor was worse off. He was almost wheezing.

But it wasn't the clone who appeared in the lab's center. The click-clack of boots belonged to Helen Cutter, with a clone covering the lab door, automatic gun in hand.

She smirked at the two people hiding in the corner. "I can hear you, Connor. Come on out…"

He got up slowly, one hand hastily shoving the opener into the small of his back. He raised his arms, moving toward Helen.

"You too, Sarah."

She followed Connor's lead, hands raised in surrender, with her backpack still hanging by a strap.

"That's better. Now, where's the opener?"

Neither Sarah nor Connor spoke.

Helen moved closer, a pistol in her gloved hand. "Where is the opener, Connor? I'm going to count to three… and then I'm going to shoot her."

Sarah didn't speak. She just glared daggers at the woman who'd kidnapped her, drugged her, and nearly shot her before. She didn't trust Helen at all. There was no guarantee that Helen wouldn't shoot them for fun once she got the opener.

"1…"

Connor twitched, lowering his arms.

"1 and ½…"

One hand closed on the opener. It powered on.

"2…"

An anomaly appeared behind them. Sarah could feel it pulsing.

"2 and ½…!" Helen shouted, her gun firing.

But Sarah was already in motion. She jumped through the glowing opening without a second thought. Connor tumbled through after her, the opener aimed at the anomaly and a furious Helen.

The thousands of tiny mirrors disappeared with a whirl.

They were safe. Well, safe-ish.

Wherever they were wasn't New York and it sure wasn't Wonderland. It was too empty. Too silent. She couldn't even hear any animals.

She sat still for a moment, letting her eyes adjust to her new surroundings. Beside her, Connor was sucking in air. "That was close," he muttered.

"No… no… that's nothing…"

"What?"

Sarah stood up. "We're in the future, Conn. Not my future… the other one."

Her companion paled, standing as well. Together they looked down a hill at the ruins of a city, where cars lay rusting, homes and shops abandoned. The habitat of the most fearsome creature in all of history—the Predators.

And they weren't armed.

**Author's Notes:**

It was time to get caught up with Hatter's doings. He's been a busy guy. Yes, he's currently in episode 2x04 story wise. He appeared roughly between episodes 2x02 and 2x03 since Jenny's at the ARC.

As for the whole cable-in-the-bag thing—remember, the opener is from the future. Which means one or both of them could have invented the device, or even Connor Temple. Someone installed a back-up port that happened to work with a common cable. Makes you wonder, doesn't it? ;)

Now that I've given everyone a headache, please, please review! You guys are amazing. Keep it up!

We'll see Sarah and Connor's anomaly-jumping adventures continue in chapter 23. In our next chapter, we're back to Wonderland to see how Connor's fairing and what devious scheme Damon's up to now. Enjoy!


	23. Chapter 22: Violent Impulses

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** If it seems familiar, it's not mine.

**WARNING:** If you're squeamish or upset by violence, you might want to skip two sections. One is part of Connor's and the other is Damon's second section. They are of a gory, twisted nature. There's a recap at the bottom.

**Chapter Twenty-two: Violent Impulses**

His left hand tingled.

Connor continued to scream as both prods touched him mere seconds apart. His body thrashed from the electric shock and his own struggles. His dark hair stood at odd angles, frazzled and spiky thanks to the voltage surging inside his body.

"Perhaps a few more volts will loosen his tongue, brother dear," Dr. Dee suggested to Dr. Dum in an even, bored tone.

"If he even has a tongue to be loosened, then a few volts will surely loosen it."

His good hand twitched on the chair arm. He could feel the magic surging underneath his skin. The Hatter Hammer.

The twins played with the dials on their cattle prods. Electricity hummed in the air.

Connor closed his eyes, trying to focus his energy and rage into breaking free. Legend said his father had done it before, as well as shattered Mad March's head in one blow. Rage fueled by Madness and channeled into magic had a power unmatched by modern inventions.

_They wanted my dad dead. They want to kill me. They're sick killers. They will kill me without a flicker of remorse._

The strap securing his wrist creaked.

One of the prods struck him in the back, near his spine. Connor couldn't help but cry out.

"The King says you have something to tell us, young Hatter. Why are you here?"

"No one walks into a trap willingly without a reason," the other doctor agreed. "Unless their plan was a trap within a trap."

Another prod struck him. He gritted his teeth.

"But the outcome would still be a trap."

"I think we need a new tactic."

The brothers conferred for a moment. Then the room grew dark.

Then the lights flickered back on, albeit at a dim setting, the twins were no longer alone. There was a fourth person in the Truth Room. Connor's heart skipped a good three beats.

Sitting across from him, tied down much like he was, was Sarah. She was covered in cuts and bruises. She was still alive—just barely.

"Sarah! Sarah!" he shouted, trying to grab his sister's attention.

One of the prods touched her stomach. She let out a scream.

Connor realized then that he'd never heard her scream before. Sarah wasn't a screamer. She suffered in silence. Not him. He had a low tolerance for pain.

"Don't you fuckin' touch her!" Connor shouted, his voice rough.

The doctors laughed, dancing in circles around their new captive. They took turns drawing out her screams over Connor's protests. Her screams drowned him out.

He fought to grab hold of the bond between them. The tenuous thread that connected them was gone. He couldn't feel her despite being mere feet apart. Not even a whimper came through the bond.

The Madness inside him rose. His sister had been turned into a broken shell. His vibrant, kick-ass sister was mentally and physically shattered.

He jerked his wrist against the strap.

Snap!

One hand was free. He scrambled to undo his right hand. The doctors didn't notice. Not that he cared.

A tool bench rested against a wall. It was littered with weapons meant for torture, including other stun guns and cattle prods. He fingered a few of the weapons before selecting a stun gun.

"Oi! Leave her alone!" Connor demanded, stepping toward the two men. They looked up, surprised to see him free, let alone walking and aiming a gun at one of them.

A cattle prod moved to hit his broken ribs. Connor acted faster, launching the prongs out of the stun gun. They attached to the closet man's chest, zapping him.

In a swift move, Connor dropped the used gun and dropped his fist, protecting his injured ribs. The prod from the conscious doctor struck his left wrist. His fist absorbed the energy; pulsing and crackling like electricity.

He punched the stunned man in the face, breaking through his nose and into his skull. Bone caved in, the current traveling back down Connor's fist and into the dying man's body.

As one man gurgled on his own blood, Connor punched the other twin in the heart, crashing through ribs to pummel the organ.

Dripping with blood, the youngest Hatter hurried to his sister's side. He was still in the full grip of Madness; completely unaware of the destruction he'd caused. He went to untie her, only to have his hand travel through where she should be.

An image flickered, faltered, and died.

Sarah Hatter wasn't a captive. She wasn't even real.

* * *

Jessica followed Caterpillar's advice and headed toward the Looking Glass. There were some forests near the Hall. There was a chance that her father was hiding out there.

As she walked through the woods alone, her stolen horse long gone, she imagined meeting her birth father.

_Will he really know who I am? Where has he been all these years? How could he leave us with those horrid people? Didn't he love us at all?_

_What about mum? He could've saved her!_

_What kind of selfish jerk leaves his lover to die?_

_What if he hates me?_

* * *

Damon threw open the doors to the game room. He had modeled the room after his grandmother's casino. There were several in the palace. Some were meant to be used with Oysters to drain them. Others were meant to showcase tarts.

The room he'd chosen—the one he sentenced Ana of Diamonds too—was an upscale night club setting with several backrooms for privacy and other activities. There were few lights in the main part of the game room. Some spotlights focused on a variety of dancers in various states of undress and health.

Most of the tarts in the royal game room were hand-picked and treated well by his staff. Moderately well. They received food and some medical care.

Damon picked a couch. He sat down, watching a blonde girl on a pole. The way she moved reminded him of someone he'd rather forget.

He made a motion to one of the Suits standing guard to deliver the girl to a backroom.

She wasn't perfect, but she'd do for the moment.

* * *

"Excuse me, I was wondering if you could tell me who rules Wonderland," Alice asked a bartender at a pub. She had been traveling for a good three days with Chase since the Manor, hoping to reach an occupied village.

The bartender snorted. "King Damon, o' course. What are ye, daft?"

Chase, who had rubbed dirt and ash into his very blonde hair, shared a look of horror with Alice, who was in the disguise of an older woman. They'd procured a wig for her and thick glasses. After three days of hard living, they both looked like travelers, not royalty.

"Really? I thought there was a Queen…"

"The Queen Alice? God rest her soul, she passed on many years ago. So did her children. King Damon was the next heir after his father's passing."

"What happened to Queen Alice?"

The bartender leaned closer, his voice lowered. "Didn't ya know? She was murdered."

* * *

Her blank eyes were wide in horror.

Damon spat in them.

He stood up, leaving the bed. The bitch didn't move. She'd never move again. She would never defy him again.

Blood coated his bare skin, the sheets, the paint on the walls and ceiling, as well as the carpet. He didn't seem to notice or care. He even left his blood-slicked knife lying on the bed.

Her body was a mess full of stab wounds, cigarette burns, and half-finished mutilation.

Copious amounts of copper blood soaked through the sheets and the mattress. Every piece of fabric in the room would have to be burned later. But Damon didn't care.

He still wasn't satisfied. Killing one blonde hooker wasn't enough. She was a sloppy substitute for the real thing. This one didn't even fight him. She didn't have the spirit necessary to be a worthy kill. She was nothing more than garbage.

The woman who deserved a painful, slow death was still loose. Damn Ana of Diamonds. She'd gotten under his skin.

Damon couldn't wait to fuck her senseless and feel the warmth wetness of her blood on her skin. To hear her beg and scream as he slowly drained her of both blood and life. To hold her life in his hands as he slowly choked her to death.

Then he'd let her breathe again. He'd bring her back.

Just to kill her again.

Over and over again until he was sick of the game.

Until he was sick of Ana. Until he purged her from his system.

Then he would probably fuck her corpse just for kicks. To further humiliate and defile the bitch who murdered his grandmother.

Yes, he liked that idea very much.

**Author's Notes:**

Okay so now Damon's even scaring me… He's a sick, twisted little fucker. Hey, at least he's not a cannibal. But still, I apologize if I offended anyone.

RECAP: (CONNOR) Connor snaps a bit after he sees Drs. Dee and Dum torturing his sister. He breaks free and kills the twins with his bare hands. He then goes to free his sister, only to find out that Sarah wasn't ever there.

(DAMON) Damon kills the blonde dancer as a substitute for Ana. She suffered greatly and he's planning on doing worse to Ana. He even plans to strangle her, revive her, and kill her again. It's clear he's become very unhinged now and is focused on killing Ana.

In other news, how do you think Alice will handle the news of her own murder?

As always, please, please comment and review. I also accept anonymous reviews. Thanks for reading and suffering through this unusually violent chapter!


	24. Chapter 23: Predators and Prey

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** Let's see… I own my twisted timeline, Sarah, Connor, Damon, and Chase. Helen, anomalies, the ARC and its teams, and some monsters all belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures. Wonderland, Alice, Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts belong to SyFy and Nick Willing.

**Chapter Twenty-three: Predators and Prey**

"Okay, don't panic…" Connor suggested. "There's a bunker nearby…"

"I don't think there's time for that," Sarah whispered, her eyes firmly fixed on the tops of the buildings in the distance. The sightless creatures, their skin a pale gray and their limbs ending in sharp claws, were everywhere.

And giant flying bugs were in the air.

"Oi, where's action man when you need him?" he grumbled under his breath.

"Only, a few dozen years in the past. At least."

"Not helping."

She shot him a wry smile. "Okay, genius, what now?"

"We get undercover, then open the next anomaly. One that we pick."

She nodded, waiting for further instructions. Connor didn't seem to notice. He was too busy frowning at the detector in his hand.

"Don't tell me you broke it."

"No, it's just… I can't…"

"Put it in my bag," Sarah said with a sigh. "I have a feeling you're the clumsy one."

"Oi!"

"Hey, I'm not even allowed to carry hot tea!"

He smiled at her despite the situation. "C'mon, let's get indoors before they notice us."

Connor held out his hand. Sarah took it, staying close to his side. She wasn't familiar with this world. She didn't want to. She just wanted to get home. Alive.

And preferably, in one piece.

* * *

Jenny took Connor back to his flat. Hatter had offered to take him, but Cutter insisted that he stay with the team.

Cutter ended up being relieved of his duty as the leader by Lester. Stephen Hart took over command, sending Hatter to sweep one area of the canal, while he scanned another one with a small submarine.

It was a useless search. Cutter's instincts that the anomaly was water based, meant the creature was no longer in the canal. Hatter trusted the other man, even if Cutter didn't quite trust him.

When the man at the helm of the small craft turned his back, Hatter dove into the water. He hadn't put on a life preserver when he got on board, which made his exit rather smooth. He was under the water's surface before anyone could stop him.

* * *

The two figures moved stealthily in between deserted cars and alleys. Connor led, having much more experience with this future world than Sarah. Her sole experience ended with Helen kidnapping her.

After falling through the mirror.

"Conn, what if we find where I fell?"

"Why?"

"To send me back!"

"Can we talk about this later?" the older man suggested, his brown eyes scanning the rooftops. The Predators were on patrol.

Sarah considered rolling her eyes at him, then thought better. Connor was only trying to help her. He was trying to protect her. She wasn't at home or even in Wonderland. She was out of place and in unfamiliar territory. This was Connor's area of expertise. She would listen to him.

She turned around to look behind them. Her backpack slipped on her shoulder. Without warning, she backed into one of the half-open car doors. She flailed her arm, shattering the glass window with her right fist.

At the sudden noise, Connor turned around to find her sprawled on the ground, blood coating her right arm.

"Sarah!"

He pulled her back to her feet. But the damage had already been done.

Predators were closing in them.

"Now what?"

"We stay and get torn to bits. Or we run and get torn to bits."

"What about the opener?"

Connor shook his head. "Too risky. If one of them got through…"

"The world would end."

"Exactly."

In the distance, a crash sounded. The Predators turned their heads, listening to the sound.

A faint cry carried through the empty city. "Connor? Connor Kyle Hatter!"

"That's me," she whispered, shock settling in.

"Ssh…"

The Predators moved out, hunting for the source of the noise. Noise that continued as her past-self yelled for her brother and for help.

"Helen… Helen finds me…"

Brown eyes looked into brown eyes. "You can't see yourself in this state."

"But—"

Connor grabbed her arm, dragging her into the closest open building. "Wait here for me. Don't open the door. If I'm not back in… fifteen minutes… the door across from this one opens back to my world. It's an old military place that Lester bought after—never mind. Just use it."

She didn't get another chance to protest before he shut her in.

* * *

Hatter closed his eyes, listening to his instincts instead of his eyes. He swam down into the darkness, feeling for the familiar tug of an anomaly.

Down, down, down, he went.

Bubbles drifted out of the corner of his mouth as he reached the pulsing ball of light. His eyes flew open. Cutter was right.

He kicked his legs, powering through the hole and into a new body of water. He swam up, heading for the surface.

He broke the surface, gasping for air. Hatter was a strong swimmer—he'd learned as a kid in Wonderland when March thought it would be funny to push a young Hatter into a fast-flowing river. He'd swallowed loads of water, but survived. After that, he learned how to swim through trial and error.

Hatter pulled himself out of what strongly reminded him of a sewer tunnel. His wet clothes dripped on the cement floor.

"Hello? Anyone?"

"Over here! Help! Over here!" a frightened male voice shouted, echoing in the warehouse-type building.

He jogged over, bending down to stare at a grate. A hand shot through. "You okay?" Hatter asked.

"Yeah, I guess. It's cold though…"

"I bet. Have you seen a blonde girl?"

"Abby? Yeah, she's under, searching for a way out."

"That's great. I know someone who's gonna be very glad to see her. Can you get her for me? I'm gonna work on this…"

The teenager nodded, diving down to find Connor's girl. Hatter felt his heart skip a beat. Abby was alive. He'd saved her. Well, as soon as he got the grate open.

He looked at his fist and the grate's bolts. He focused the magic and fear he'd had for his team mate into his fist. He punched one of the bolts, cracking where it met the concrete. Then he slammed another.

Hatter couldn't help the grin on his face as he started to lift the metal grate off the tank. It was very similar to one he'd swum through.

As he settled the grate to the side, water flowed up and over the opening, drenching his feet.

"Abby?"

Two heads bobbed up. One blonde, one black.

Hatter thrust out a hand to the girl. "Quick, Abs."

He jerked her out of the tank as the teenager climbed out on his own. Both of them coughed and gagged.

"Hatter?" Abby said after a few coughs cleared the water from her lungs.

"That's my name."

"How did you…?"

"Magic. Let's just leave it at that."

"Where's Connor? And Cutter? Stephen?"

"Flat. No bloody idea. Still fishin' in the canal."

She smiled at him, her eye make-up streaked down her cheeks. "So it's just you?"

"Oi!"

"No matter what, your mate's got good timing," the young man said. "A few more minutes and those…things would've been back."

"Right. Can they walk on land?"

"Yeah," Abby clarified.

"O' course they can…" Hatter cracked his head side to side. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

"Hello? Is anyone out here? Hello?"

Dirty and sore, Sarah Hatter stepped out of a tunnel and into daylight.

A figure jogged toward her. She blinked.

"Conn?"

Her brother motioned for her to be quite. "Why?"

"Just trust me," he hissed, grabbing her hand.

Sarah did. As much as Connor was a pain in the ass, he was smart. He must have a reason. Unless he was just pissed at her.

Then she saw the creatures.

"Conn!"

"I know. Stay quiet and run."

They picked up the pace, staying low and close to the buildings. Sarah didn't protest. She let the questions build up in her head for once.

Connor unlocked a door. She ran in, smacking into something solid. Another person?

"Sorry, I-ah!"

Sarah stood face-to-face with herself. A dirty, scratched, and bleeding version, but clearly her. The same clothes, the same shoes, and the same bag.

"What the hell?"

"Please, try an' keep it down," her brother insisted.

"What is going on? Have you been running experiments again?"

Connor shook his head. "Sarah, this is you…not long after now. You see, that's you… from the future."

"But you—"

"My name is Connor, but my dashing good looks are just a weird genetic quirk. I'm not Connor. Not your Connor. Name's Connor Temple. I'm thirty, father of a cute lil' girl, and I like dinosaurs and long walks in the Cretaceous."

"My God… you sound just like 'im."

"I know… it's uncanny, inndint?" her future-self said.

"And you… I've seen some weird shit in my life, but you…"

"Listen, there's a woman named Helen. She was going to find you if we didn't. She's psychotic. She shot at you, killed Conn's wife and friends…"

Connor closed his eyes.

"So what's going on? Where am I?"

Her other self sighed. "Short version? The mirror's a form of anomaly. It failed and you fell through a crack in time and space… oh shit… this can't be good."

Sarah looked down at her double. The dirt-and-blood-encrusted figure was fading, like a candle about to burn out.

"Talk faster!" Connor urged. "Something's changing!"

"Trust Conn. He'll get you home. Stay away from Helen…"

"The opener!"

Her double tossed a backpack at Connor. As his hands closed on the canvas bag, her double vanished.

Sarah stared at him in horror. "What did you do?"

"Me? Nothin'! It was all…oi, forget it. Just stay close, okay? We need to go back a bit…"

He dug a small handheld device out of the bag. It powered on and a shining ball of light, like a thousand spinning Looking Glasses in the air, appeared.

Connor, not her Connor, but a Connor, reached out a hand. "C'mon, Sarah Hatter. Let's get out of here before we're both Predator meat."

"Predators? Like—"

"Not like the movie," he promised. "Nothin' like the movie. Imagine the senses on a bat on the fastest killin' machine ever born…"

Together they stepped through the mirrors, Connor talking the entire time. Behind them, Helen Cutter threw open the door to their hiding place just in time to see the anomaly disappear.

* * *

Helen frowned at the disappearing orb. There wasn't supposed to be an anomaly here. Not according to the time map.

This stunk of Nick Cutter's team and the Anomaly Research Centre.

She wrinkled her nose. She could have sworn there had been a girl calling for help. A girl shouting for Connor. There was only one Connor that she knew—a particularly annoying specimen of human that her dead husband had taken pity on—who went by the last name of Temple.

But the girl she'd glimpsed running with a dark-haired figure wasn't Temple's live-in girlfriend, Abby Maitland. Oh, no. She was dark-haired, too.

Just like Temple.

A devious smirk crossed Helen's face. "Which one are you…? Sister or daughter…?"

She pulled out her handheld anomaly opener. She would find out the answer soon enough.

* * *

An ugly-looking creature with tusks like a walrus appeared from one of the water pits. It flapped its way toward the trio. They each took a step back.

The creature roared.

"See any way out?" Hatter asked.

"No…"

"It's getting closer!" the boy shouted.

They backed up against a wall. Hatter bent down, his hand brushing against the damp floor. "Find a weapon! Something… anything!"

Metal clanged against concrete as the boy found a forgotten crowbar.

"'Stay close to him. Don't worry about me," Hatter whispered to Abby. "Get back to Connor."

"What are you going to do?"

He smiled at her. "What I do best."

Abby stared at him, utterly confused as the unarmed man hurried past the creature and to another wall away from them.

"Oi! Over 'ere, ugly!" Hatter shouted. He whistled loudly, his arms waving. "Oi! Tasty meat! Over 'ere!"

The creature turned, focusing on the other man.

"Now's when you run!" Hatter ordered, not taking his eyes off the creature.

Abby looked at the teen. "He's right. We need to run."

"Run where?"

"I don't know… there's gotta be a door somewhere."

She started pushing against the walls, hitting it with loose bricks and other debris. In the background she could hear Hatter goading the creature, drawing its attention away from them. Risking his own life to give them a shot at escape.

* * *

On the other side of the wall, Connor Temple and Nick Cutter stood together. After Stephen called to say they'd lost another team member—this time Hatter—Nick had decided to ignore Lester's orders to stay out of this mess.

He called up Connor, partially to inform the young man that his close friend had been taken, and partially to beg for help. It took a while, but Connor agreed in the end.

They followed Cutter's instincts to an old warehouse.

So far the search had proved useless. Until they heard a variety of noise from the other side of one of the walls. A familiar voice was causing a rather loud racket over the sounds of banging.

"Someone's there!" Connor cried happily.

Cutter picked up his crowbar in one hand. "This part was bricked over."

"Hello? Hello? Help's coming!" Connor shouted, pounding the wall with his fist. "Ow, that hurt…"

"Stand back," Cutter said, taking aim at the wall.

The crowbar cut through the loose bricks with ease. Whoever was on the other side was helping to weaken the wall between them.

"Hello? Hello?" a female voice called.

"Abs? Abby!"

"Connor? Connor!"

His face lit up. "It's Abby! She's alive!"

"Stand back!" Cutter warned.

"Professor?" she called.

"Stand back from the wall!"

He swung again and again, chunks of the wall crumbling. Finally a small opening appeared. Connor rushed to the wall, pushing pieces of brick aside.

"Abby!" he said, his hand reaching through.

Cutter knelt beside him, rolling large bits of rubble away. "Settle yourself, Sid… Nancy…"

Neither of them seemed to care. Abby's hand was wrapped tightly around Connor's as if it were a lifeline.

**Author's Notes:**

That was a long one, folks! Three chapters in a row is pretty awesome. The pace is starting to pick up, plus I'm trying to finish up by the end of the month since July is JulNoWriMo. It's a take-off of NaNoWriMo and I try to write a novel in 31 days (50,000 words). That means I'm putting fanfic on hold for most of the month to focus on my thriller.

Now for story news: Alice will learn about her murder in the next chapter. Connor's got to get out of the palace, and Jessica will have a run-in with Hatter. The timelines are going to start merging now, but Helen's not done messing around.

We're also going to find out why the mirror broke—probably in chapter 25. If there's anything you'd like to see happen or resolved by the end of the story, now's the time to speak up. Anonymous reviews are acceptable.

There's also a poll on my author page concerning character fates.

Thanks bunches! There's almost been 100 reviews (as of Friday night)! You guys rock!

FlyingAway - Thank you so much for your review! I'm glad that this story makes you think. When I'm writing each chapter, I usually have the last bit where we saw so-and-so up on my screen just to make sure the story continues on right. Thanks! :)


	25. Chapter 24: Collision

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything other than my original characters.

**Chapter Twenty-four: Collision **

The Looking Glass Hall was deserted.

The Glass, which usually had several technicians and a few Suits around, was turned off and alone. The Hall was full of dust and broken pieces of window glass. Cobwebs hung in the corners and also in her face.

There was a small disturbance near the Glass. Dust had been disturbed near the Glass—she could see footprints. The box that usually held the Stone was broken, lying on the marble floor in pieces.

Someone had been there recently. Someone tried to work the Glass.

Jessica headed straight toward the Glass. She touched the surface. It was solid.

She stared at all the switches on the side, trying to remember a tutorial she'd had as a child on how to control the Looking Glass. Her father—well, her step-father—had insisted that they learn about the Glass. He even let them set the Glass up for a routine trip.

Her fingers brushed against the switches.

The Glass whirled to life.

Jessica took a step back in shock. The Glass had never functioned without the Stone of Wonderland before. When it did, it was only for a short time. It must have been ages since the Stone was used.

Fifteen long years since King Jack died. Since she was disinherited and murdered.

Her hand went through the Glass's surface. The Looking Glass was active.

She stepped closer. _What was it Caterpillar said about my father and the Looking Glass?_

Jessica touched the Glass again. Her arm slid through up to her elbow.

She smiled at her distorted reflection. The mirror had always fascinated her.

There was a flapping sound behind her. She turned to look.

A bird flew past, but her sudden turn caused her to lose her balance.

With a yell, Jessica Hatter fell through the Looking Glass, unconsciously following her father's own path.

* * *

He stumbled out of the Truth Room, dripping with blood—a mixture of his own and the doctors'. He felt completely numb despite the aching in his fist and the rage in his blood.

Connor had a taste of power. He took two lives without extra thought. Sure, they were killers, but had he needed to take their lives? Did he need to end their lives so violently? With his own hands? Since when did he decided who lived and who died?

_Sarah… I need you…_

Of course, Sarah couldn't hear him. He couldn't hear her either. For the first time in a long time, he was completely alone.

Except for the ever present Suits. He couldn't seem to get away from them.

Connor pressed his back against a wall, trying to blend in. He wasn't in the mood to deal with any armed foot soldiers. He wasn't up for another fight. Sarah was the fighter. She was meant to be a fighter. He was meant to be far from the action.

But he didn't have his older sister with him. This time it was just him. The future of Wonderland rested on his slim shoulders. Well, that and the shoulders of his other self—Kyle. And if Chase could help them, they would stand a better chance.

_This is for you, Sarah. I know you would want me to do this._

* * *

Jessica woke up in a daze in a medical facility.

"Hi, honey… how are you feeling?" a kind nurse said, offering her a sip of water through a straw. She sucked at it greedily, quenching her thirst and her dry throat.

"Where am I?"

"You're at the hospital. You've been in a coma."

"What?"

"You hit your head rather hard. A taxi just missed hitting you… Apparently you just collapsed in the street."

"I can't remember…" Jessica whispered.

"Is there someone we should call? A friend? Family?"

She shook her head. "No… no one. I'm…my parents are dead."

"Aww, you poor thing…"

"I never knew them. They died a long time ago. I just… where am I?"

The nurse looked around. "London. Are you on holiday?"

"No, I'm trying to find a man. He's my… uncle. I've never met him before."

"Well, do you know what his name is?"

Jessica almost said "Hatter", then thought better of it. "I don't know what name he's using now. But he's got dark hair, dark eyes… slight build, under six feet tall…"

"Luv, you just described half the blokes in London and the surrounding areas!"

"I know. It's hopeless."

"Chin up, dear. You're alive and well. That's something."

"I guess."

* * *

"Murdered? By who?" Chase asked, taking over as Alice sat in stunned silence.

_Dead? How can I be… this doesn't make any sense…_

The bartender refilled their drinks. "I 'eard it was the Queen o' Hearts who did her in. A bit of poison or somethin'. Died not long after her children were born."

"Children?" Alice asked after a long drink. _Connor, Sarah…_

"Twins. One boy and one girl. Jessica and Kyle Heart."

Chase choked on his drink. "Did you say 'Heart'?"

"That I did. Queen Alice married King Jack Heart. Prince Kyle and Princess Jessica, God rest their souls, are King Jack's children."

Alice tried to remain calm. She never would have married Jack—not when she had Hatter. It didn't matter what Tea she drank. There was no way she would marry Jack, let alone have children with him, when her heart belonged to David Hatter.

"What happened to them? The Hearts?"

The bartender shifted closer after a glance around. "Rumor has it…after King Jack's unfortunate death, the Princess had an accident. There's no known burial ground for her or her brother. He vanished as well. Their half-brother took the throne."

"That would be Damon?" Alice asked, trying to fit this reality's pieces in with her own past.

"Aye. Son of the Duchess of Diamonds, King Jack's second wife. They had two sons—Damon and Chase. Both still live up at the new palace."

"We saw the ruins of the Manor on our way. What happened there?"

"Oh, that's old news. Been like that… I dunno, fifteen years if it were a day!"

Chase sipped at his drink, occasionally glancing over at Alice. They had anticipated changes in regime, but not a completely different history.

"And the Hatter? Queen Alice's companion… whatever happened to him?" Chase asked for Alice's sake.

The man behind the counter sighed. "No one knows. He might have died, might be livin' out in the woods, no idea. It's just assumed he's dead. No one's seen him in over thirty years."

"He's pretty smart though. He might be alive," Alice said, still clinging to hope that her husband still lived in this strange version of Wonderland. "I mean, he's the Hatter. He's good at hiding and lying low in order to survive."

"It's a mystery," the bartender agreed. "You two need a place to stay tonight?"

"Is there a motel around here?"

"Upstairs we have a few rooms for rent. You want one?"

"Yes, please," Alice said. She didn't want to sleep in the woods if she could help it.

Chase nodded in agreement. The best part of Wonderland was that it was an economic system built on trades and bartering. There were no magic plastic cards. There were no IDs to copy or check. They could disappear into the wild if they wanted. No one ever had to know.

At the same time, it made finding people even harder.

* * *

On her second day after waking up from a coma, Jessica vaguely remembered her life and her quest for her father. She continued to feign ignorance and stuck with the "Jane Doe" moniker assigned to her by the nurses. They were rather kind to her and several of them asked about her missing uncle. None of them had any idea where he might be.

Then chaos broke out in the London hospital. The power surged and went out. Footsteps sounded in the halls and men in military dress patrolled the halls. Most of the nurses scattered. Jessica didn't run or hide. She stayed strong, more interested in why they were there than afraid.

She slipped into a set of scrubs that allowed her to blend in with those who remained in the hospital. She went room to room, casually checking for anything out of place.

A creature scuttled around her, running down the hall on stumpy legs. It was mostly brown with a tail, buckteeth, and big eyes. It was cute, but ugly, like a strange beaver. She followed the creature into another room, colliding with a man a bit taller than her.

His hand came out steadying her. "Hey, you okay? You look lost…"

"First day," she lied. "Still getting the hang of things."

The man in black nodded. He had an ear piece in and also carried a gun. "Well, this section is closed. Electrical issues. Where were you trying to go?"

"I was just looking for a bathroom, honestly."

"Around the corner to your left," he suggested.

"Thank you so much!"

Jessica hurried off, pretending to be following his directions. She wasn't about to stop investigating without answers. Even if this was the Oyster's world, military personnel weren't commonplace. She knew that from old stories.

* * *

The Suits faded into the distance, leaving Connor free to sneak toward the exit.

He was almost there when a hand closed on his shoulder. He tensed, trying to decide whether he should fight back or flee. Flee was about to win out when a low voice said, "Settle down, mini-me."

Kyle. Kyle had snuck up on him.

"C'mon, let's go," the older man suggested.

They slipped down a back passageway that brought them out into the backyard in between several hedges and trees. The woods and the remaining Resistance members were only a few meters away.

Connor jogged ahead, eager to put the Truth Room and Damon Heart far behind him. If Kyle could handle it alone, Connor would gladly stay in the woods, hidden in a tree. He didn't care if he was a coward. He just wanted to be safe until he could find his family and get home.

"Get down!" Kyle shouted in warning, grabbing his ankle. The pair fell to the ground and a bullet meant for one or both of them buried itself into a tree.

They crawled, heading for cover instead of the woods. Where there was one Suit with a gun, more were sure to follow. If they did make it to the woods, they would be giving up a hiding spot. Holding off on their escape would be the best.

That's why they ran directly into the hedge maze.

**Author's Notes:**

I meant to have this up on Monday, but I've got a lingering sinus infection. I finally got this typed out tonight. Anyways, please comment as always. In the next chapter we will learn why/how the mirror broke.

Thanks for reading and reviewing! Don't forget to vote in the poll—I'm extending it to Thursday.


	26. Chapter 25: Mirror Mixups

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** Nada. Just my original characters.

**Chapter Twenty-five: Mirror Mix-up**

She stepped through the ball of light. The anomaly closed behind her as she arrived in an old military building. Helen Cutter sighed, slipping the opener back into her bag. She was back in the present in London, not too terribly far from the ARC.

She walked into a command center filled with computers. She logged in, using Christine Johnson's old passwords.

Helen ran a background search on Connor Temple, trying to determine whether the girl with him in the future was a sibling or a child. After less than a half hour, Helen had her answer.

Connor was an only child. He had no cousins or other close blood relatives. This meant the girl was either a stranger… or his future daughter. Another search revealed a birth certificate in the name of Sarah Temple, the daughter of Abby Maitland-Temple and Connor Temple.

"Well, well, well. Another generation of geeks playing with toys they shouldn't have…"

Helen checked a pistol she sometimes carried. The clip was full. She smiled at that. She also had a very sharp knife.

Now all she had to do was make sure Sarah Temple fell right into her clutches, and with her, the rest of Nick's team. It was time to put the ARC down for good.

* * *

When the wall opened up more, Connor crawled through to embrace Abby. Cutter followed a moment later, consoling the teenager who stood near Abby.

"You okay?"

The kid nodded. "Yeah, Abby's mate showed up just in time. He drew that thing away…"

"What thing?"

He pointed further into the warehouse where an anomaly pulsed. "He called it away from us, trying to give us time. I don't know where they went…"

"It's okay. I want you to go outside. There's a silver truck out there. I want you to grab the mobile in the front seat and bring it to me. Okay?"

The kid nodded, taking off as fast as he could through the half-broken wall.

"Abby, was Hatter here?"

She nodded, still hanging onto Connor's hand. "Yeah, he stepped between us and the creature. He… where is he?"

"Gone. They're both gone."

Connor leapt into action. "Stay here with Cutter."

"No way!" the blonde protested.

"Why do you—later. We'll talk about this later," Connor said, heading straight for the open anomaly. Abby followed on his heels.

Cutter sighed. He wanted to drag them both back by the scruffs of their necks, but he was too tired and someone had to call for reinforcements. Plus there was no way Connor would stay put with either Abby or Hatter in danger. And Abby wouldn't stay if Connor was in trouble.

"I'm getting too old for this," he muttered as the teenager returned with his mobile.

* * *

"Where are we?" Sarah asked as she settled into a chair on the other side of an anomaly. Connor—who looked just like her brother—sat across from her.

"This is the Anomaly Research Centre or ARC for short. And yeah, we sometimes keep animals in the ARC."

She half-smiled at him. "So how did I end up here? Why was there two of me?"

"Well, you ran into a future version of you. Time is in flux right now. As far as I can tell, your future changed to the point that the new you couldn't exist side-by-side with you. So, she—you disappeared. Because that wasn't you. Not anymore."

She frowned. "What?"

"Two identical people can't occupy the same space at the same time. When the future changed, there were two of you with the same future. So you merged together."

"Okay. But why didn't you… change or merge?"

"I wasn't supposed to be there. We just jumped through an anomaly to avoid Helen. It happened to be the one you fell into. Instead of Helen finding you, I did."

"So what's that mean?"

"We have a lot of work to do. I need to go back into the past to get help. My mentor knows more about anomalies than anyone else. He can help us fix this mess. But finding him isn't going to be easy."

"Why not?"

"Helen murdered him."

Sarah's jaw dropped a bit. "Who is Helen and why is she so dangerous?"

Connor sighed. "She's crazy. She wants to wipe the human race off Earth. She's dangerous. She'll kill anyone in her way—even her husband."

"Your mentor?"

"Yeah. Professor Nick Cutter. She blamed him for the Predators. Shot him in cold blood. I was there."

Sarah went quiet. It made sense now why both herself and Connor hated Helen and why they were warning her about the other woman. If this Helen had murdered Connor's friend—and her husband—then it made sense why everyone was wary. She didn't seem like someone Sarah would want to run into without some warning.

_And here I was thinking being in Wonderland was dangerous…_

"Why am I here?" she asked.

Connor shrugged. "This mirror of yours… it's like a controlled anomaly. It malfunctioned and dropped you in the future. That's all we know."

"So just reverse it!"

"It doesn't quite work like that. I need to stop Helen first. She killed my wife and my friends. She kidnapped my daughter…"

"Then let's go find her."

* * *

Across town, a few years in the past, Jessica slipped further down the hallway. She peeked into several of the empty rooms, searching for more of the military or some indication as to why they were there in the hospital.

She turned another corner and froze. She could hear voices. Several voices.

"Stay calm, I've done this loads of times…" a female was saying.

"How many humans?" another female asked.

Jessica snorted. She inched closer to the open door, trying to hear more of the conversation.

"Don't worry, she's very experienced," a man with a Scottish brogue promised.

"Who are you?" another man asked, stepping in front of her.

She looked up, taking in brown eyes, dark, unruly hair, a hat and a vest. "Uh, I'm… I work here?"

He looked her up and down. "I can see that. What are you doin' over here? This section's closed."

"I got lost. First day and all that…"

The stranger grabbed her by the arm, leading her away from the one room. "Who are you? And don't say a nurse. I know you're not."

"But—"

"Who are you?"

"J—Ana. Ana Diamonate."

He frowned at her. "Okay, Ana, who sent you? Newspaper? TV?"

"What?"

"Who are you working for?"

"No one!" She tried to pull her left arm free. Her hand was in his face.

"What is that?" he asked.

"What's what?"

The strange man touched the ring on her finger. "That. Where did you get that?"

"Why do you care?"

He held onto her hand. "This ring. Where did you get this ring?"

Jessica pulled away. "It's none of your bloody business."

"It is. That ring belongs to my wife. Where did you get it?"

"What? Who the hell are you?"

"David Temple. You can call me Hatter. Now where did you get that?"

Jessica looked down at the ring. "A man gave it to me."

"Who?"

"You wouldn't know him."

"Ana, I know a lot more than you imagine. Now who gave you the ring?"

"Caterpillar," she admitted, staring right at him. There seemed to be something familiar about him. She didn't know if it was the face, the hair, or the accent. Wait… his face. She knew that face… it was her brother's face. "Wait… did you say Hatter?"

"Yeah…"

"And this ring… you said it's yours? Caterpillar said my father would know it…"

Hatter, this stranger, moved closer. "Sarah?"

"No, no. My name's Jessica…"

"You're blonde? Jabberwock, what happened?"

"Jabberwock?" She raised her eyebrows. "Is that like a nickname?"

"Luv, do you feel okay?" He touched her forehead. Her father was standing in front of her. He was alive—and he knew her. Or someone like her.

"No, I… It's Jessica. Alice's daughter. From Wonderland?"

"Umm, Sarah, did you hit your head?"

"I don't know anyone named Sarah…" She took a step back. "Really."

"Wait… did you fall through the Glass? From Wonderland?"

"Yeah…"

"Something's wrong. You're Sarah… but you're not her. You're different. Older. Why didn't I see it before?"

Hatter touched her face again, gently. Jessica couldn't help but smile. This was her father—not Jack Heart—her real father. Hatter. The man who loved her mother.

"I don't know. I—it's just… I never met my parents…"

"Your mum…?"

"Died when Kyle and I were born. We were raised by mum's husband, Jack."

"Jack? Jack Heart married your mum? Where was I?"

"Dead. Everyone thought you were dead. That's why mum ended up with Jack. And then the Duchess. And my jackass half-brothers…"

"So in your world… we're both dead?"

Jessica nodded. "Yeah."

"Something's rotten in Wonderland. Really rotten," he muttered.

"You're telling me," she muttered.

**Author's Notes:**

Now we've got some more mix-ups going on. There's going to be more mix-ups coming and Sarah will be in Wonderland soon. If you have any questions, please let me know. And keep those reviews coming! I'm going to extend the poll until Friday at midnight. Please vote – vote twice if you can. Thanks for reading!


	27. Chapter 26: Past, Present, and Future

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** The original characters belong to me. Everything else either belongs to the folks at ITV/Impossible Pictures or SyFy and Nick Willing.

**Chapter Twenty-six: Past, Present, and Future**

After a good night's sleep behind a barricaded door, Alice Hatter was ready to do battle once more. She dressed for the day in jeans and boots with a long sleeve shirt. They would be traipsing around in the woods for most of the day trying to find the new palace. They would need to study their opponents.

"Chase, we need to do something about your hair. You're too blond."

"And you? You're very recognizable, my Queen."

"Not for much longer." Alice held up a pair of scissors. "But you're going to be hard to disguise."

"No one knows me without a suit on. I never was very well known."

"We can't count on the past, Chase. Not with Sarah and Connor at risk. Just because you weren't well known in the past, doesn't mean you aren't known now. It's too risky. Maybe someone's got hair dye. Or a hat. Yes… a hat might work."

He smiled at her. "Now you sound like Hatter."

Alice turned away, trying not to let her sadness show. She missed her husband and after learning of her own murder as well as his, she really wished Hatter was with them. Wonderland wasn't the same without him.

"He would probably have eight or nine you could pick from."

"He would." Chase unzipped a backpack. "But I think I've got a hat in here somewhere. Probably that one Sarah gave me for a joke…"

Sure enough, when Alice looked up from the pile of shorn locks, Chase had found a hat. It was a knit cap that covered his blond hair. It was a dark color, not a bright neon cap like her daughter had joked about getting, but it was totally out of character for him. When combined with a worn, torn t-shirt and blue jeans, Chase looked like a lower class citizen instead of a high-born prince.

He'd learned to dress like his peers in New York instead of wearing a suit and tie as he had most of his life in Wonderland. He enjoyed dressing in jeans and t-shirts. He got to be young and casual there. No one was staring at him in New York. No one expected a prince or a future king. He got to be just plain old Chase Heart there.

Here he was, dressed like a typical twenty-something, standing in a motel room in Wonderland. This was the Chase Heart who stole her daughter's heart and later broke it. Or was it the other way around?

Alice fixed her drastically shortened locks, looking a bit like her husband, except female, and sighed.

"Mrs. Hatter, you look… wow…"

"Stop staring, Chase. I'm not Sarah."

"I know, but she does take after you. In looks. God, it's so weird being here without her."

Alice nodded. "Wonderland isn't the same without her or Hatter. The sooner we find them, the happier I'll be."

"I agree. And this time, I'm not letting her push me away."

* * *

They turned left and right at various times, trying to out run their pursuers more than trying to escape. Of course escape didn't matter if the Suits were right behind them.

"Stay!" Kyle hissed, pushing his younger self against a tall hedge.

They both pressed against a separate piece of hedge after a sharp turn. There was a dead end ahead.

Two Suits turned the corner and passed them.

Kyle and Connor jumped them, knocking them out with a few well-placed punches and kicks. The two Suits went down hard, giving them a chance to arm themselves with guns and backtrack a few turns.

Together they knocked out several more pairs of Suits. Once the Suits were dealt with, the two brothers focused on escaping the maze. They went through several more dead ends in their search. But after another thirty minutes, before reinforcements could reach them, they managed to exit the maze.

Panting and bloody, they emerged in the woods. By that time, Kyle was half-carrying, half-dragging Connor.

"C'mon, you need to hang on a bit longer…" Kyle said.

"I…I can't."

"Yeah, you can. Buck up, little brother. We're almost there…"

"Go without me," Connor said, leaning against a tree. "You don't need my help."

"What you talkin' about? This was all your idea!"

"Really. You can do this. You don't need me."

"You're my only family. I don't care if you're me or not. You're the only other… Hatter left. My sister's dead, my mother's dead, and so's my dad. You're it."

Connor snorted. "I'm bad luck. You don't want me around."

"You took my place, played me, and survived Damon. That's no easy feat."

"I didn't…"

"What you mean?"

"The Truth Room. It changed me."

Kyle frowned at him. "The blood… how much of it's yours?"

"Enough. The rest…" Connor shook his head. "I killed them."

"Don't beat yourself up. They deserved it."

"With my bare hands…"

Kyle slung his arm over his shoulder. "I don't care. You did what you needed to do to survive. They'd have killed you. Now are you gonna walk or should I carry you back to camp?"

* * *

Helen Cutter stood in front of a mirror. Grass came up to her knees inside the strange office. The two men sitting guard on the building were dead. She'd been quick and merciless before dragging their bodies to the nearby barn.

Now she stood in the tea shop's office, where she had been told by her employer, she would find the girl. Sarah Temple would be coming through that mirror along with her twin. Connor.

She held out her opener, making sure the proper coordinates were in. Traveling through various dimensions in anomalies caused rifts and alternate timelines. One of those rifts was the future, where Predators roamed. Another was the wasteland of Wonderland, where a pompous blond kid ruled with help from his grandmother.

Helen had run into them accidently before. When she realized that Temple had a daughter, Helen returned to this alternate place with a plan in hand. This Queen of Hearts readily agreed to help her locate Sarah Temple, if she would fix their mirror-based travel system.

The mirror would allow them to remove people from earth, changing the course of evolution just the way Helen wanted. It was a perfect arrangement.

She clicked a few buttons on the device as a hand stretched through. It didn't matter if Connor already snatched his daughter. She didn't care. She would kill him soon enough. She just needed to make sure Sarah Temple landed in London.

Helen pressed a button just as a person stepped through the mirror. Before he could see her, she vanished into a waiting anomaly. As she disappeared in a pool of light, the mirror shattered into a million jagged pieces, stranding one family in two different worlds.

* * *

In the past, Stephen Hart and Nick Cutter stepped through an anomaly and into the future. Mer creatures howled as lightning crashed in the distance.

The rocky terrain proved to be an obstacle in their search. Connor and Abby were long gone from sight, as was Hatter. Nick couldn't help but curse their stubborn natures. None of the missing team members were known for their patience.

The two men split up, each carrying an automatic weapon. Tranquilizers weren't an option this time.

"Hang on! Abby!" Connor shouted in the distance.

"Let me go!"

"No!"

"Please…!"

"No! I love you!"

Nick stopped, trying to follow their voices on the rocks.

"Oi, enough with the drama," another voice drawled. Hatter. "C'mon, grab his hand, luv. Let's get you outta there."

Cutter went further down the rocks until he could see the trio. Abby was hanging from Connor's arm, dangling over a cliff. A Mer loitered below them, trying to get Abby's leg. Hatter was beside Connor, helping pull Abby over the edge.

The older man was bleeding, but his cuts didn't seem to bother him.

"Stephen! Down here!" Cutter shouted, taking aim at the creature below.

Abby, Connor, and Hatter fell together in a heap as Nick opened fire, joined moments later by Stephen.

* * *

"I need to find Abby first," Connor Temple insisted.

"Fine. Give me a gun. What? I'm a good shot."

He shook his head. "You're something else, Sarah."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment…"

"Armory's this way," he said, leading her further into the ARC. Unlike his last visit to his workplace, the ARC was full of people. However, there was still no sign of Becker, Danny Quinn, Dr. Page, or his wife.

Sarah picked a handgun and a knife. She also located two sets of thin body armor. She tossed one at him. "Trust me. You'll want to be wearing that."

"Why?"

"Let's just say I get shot at. A lot." She pointed at the area of her scar. "This one right here? It killed me. Just trust me."

Connor slipped into the vest and tugged his shirt back down over it. "You died? Like really died?"

"Yeah. My brother brought me back. Between him and Chase, I hung on just long enough. I should be dead."

"But you're not."

"I'm living on borrowed time, Connor. I've died since then. I'll probably die again."

He frowned. "Are you immortal?"

Sarah scoffed, tucking her gun into the small of her back. "Not in the slightest. Just lucky I guess. Or maybe not. Depends on how you look at it."

"Who killed you? The first time?"

"A man named Damon Heart shot me. He'd taken over Wonderland. That's where I'm from. At least, that's where my da's from. I'm half-and-half. Connor and I are the only ones of our kind. Which is why I died the second time.

"Wonderlanders aren't supposed to be with Oysters—humans. My mum got lucky. I didn't." Sarah sighed. "You know, it doesn't matter…"

He touched her arm. "Go ahead. Tell me."

"You don't—"

"I do. Sarah, tell me."

"His name is Chase. I used to love him. Anyways, I ended up pregnant. I didn't know it at the time, but I was still traveling a lot between Wonderland and New York. Between the traveling and the weirdness of being a half-breed, I was dying. The doctor was about to perform an abortion… then I miscarried. Even being in the hospital, they didn't think I was going to make it."

"But you're so young…"

"It doesn't matter. Really. All that matters is fixing things. I need to find my brother. You need to help your family. Let's focus on that."

Connor nodded. "I promise I'll get you home. No matter what."

"I know."

* * *

Back at the ARC, David Hatter, Connor Temple, and Jessica sat in front of Connor's latest techno gadget—an anomaly opener.

"That's a serious piece of kit," Hatter remarked, staring at the compact device. "How did you…?"

"A bit of this, bit of that…"

The opener looked a bit like an iPod with serious modifications. It even had a port that allowed a cable to run in to the USB port on a laptop. Connor currently had the two hooked up and was playing with a program.

"I input all these different readings from past sites, plus timelines, and all the data from Cutter's little timemap/model thing. And this is what I've got. I also used some magnetite, like the sun cage, in the device. Not to mention the radio frequencies—"

"We get it, Connor. You're a bloody genius," Hatter said with a smirk.

"Thank you, but there's still a few kinks…"

"Doesn't matter. We need to try it."

"Do you have a death wish? Cutter would kill me… and then sic Lester on me. No way," Connor said, hands in the air.

"Listen, we don't have the time. If we can give you more data, can you at least try?" Hatter wheedled.

"I don't know… it's still very experimental…"

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The ADD went off in the center command area. All three of them went running, Jessica not even bothering to ask questions. Connor skidded to a halt in front of the trio of monitors, his fingers flying on the keyboard as the rest of the team gathered.

"Where is it?" Cutter, the leader, asked, trotting in from his own lab down the hallway.

"I dunno, it's almost like it's here…"

The keys clacked, the screens continuing to narrow in on a red dot.

"What is that?" Jessica asked her father.

"An anomaly. Like the one you fell through. We're tracking the location."

"Oh. Then what?"

"Depends on where it is."

"Uh, Cutter… it's umm… it's coming from one of the labs…"

"Here? In the ARC?" the older man asked, his accent growing thicker.

Connor nodded.

* * *

After a quick reunion with a shocked Abby, Connor shooed his wife and daughter into hiding, as well as leaving messages for the rest of the ARC to beware Helen. Abby had begged him to stay or to let her come with them. He'd stayed firm, insisting that he was coming back.

_"I love you, Abs. That's why I have to do this. I have to stop Helen."_

_"But anomalies? You're jumping into unknown anomalies!"_

_"It's the only way. If we wait for her to come to us… I watched you die, Abs. In my arms. Helen shot you down."_

_"No."_

_He touched her cheek, holding her face in his hands. "I'm sorry. Just get outta the flat. Lay low. I'll find you. I'll fix things and I'll find you."_

_After a quick kiss, he stepped away from her, despite the urge to hold onto her and never let her go. If he wanted Abby and their daughter to be safe, he had to go._

And now, here he was, in the past.

"Lemme guess… the ARC?" his traveling companion asked, picking herself up from the concrete floor.

"Yeah… before Helen made it go poof."

"So this Cutter fellow… where do we find him?"

"With any luck, he'll find us."

* * *

Becker's men entered the lab first, keeping Cutter, Connor, Abby, Hatter, and Jessica all back. It wasn't long before Becker gave the all clear and summoned Cutter.

Cutter stepped into the lab, not sure what to expect. Instead of creatures or even an open anomaly, two people sat casually in chairs. One was a dark-haired girl who bore a striking resemblance to both Connor and Hatter. The other was Connor himself. An older, more mature Connor in dirty, torn clothes.

"Cutter! It's good to see ya," Connor said, standing up to hug his confused mentor.

"Connor? What—?"

"There's not much time. Helen's on her way. She's got a bunch of clones. She's going to kill you."

"How do you—?"

The older Connor shook his head. "I'm from the future. Yes, I came through an anomaly. I need your help stopping Helen. Oh, and this is Sarah Hatter. I found her in the future—the far future. She was almost lunch for a few Predators."

"Hatter? Your surname's Hatter?" Cutter asked the girl.

She nodded, extending a hand. "Sarah Jessica Hatter, at your service."

"Your father… his name's David, right?"

"You know my da? Where is he? Da!" Sarah said, moving toward the hallway.

Hatter appeared, sweeping her into his arms. "Jabberwock, oh, my little girl…" he muttered, holding her tight. Tears seemed to fill both their eyes.

Cutter stared at the pair, then at Connor, in disbelief. "What has Helen done?"

"She killed Abby in my time. She's trying to destroy the ARC. That's why I'm here—to stop her in her tracks. She's got an opening device. She's controlling anomalies. When she comes here today, she won't have the device yet. She'll have an artifact. It's a timemap. The knowledge in the timemap combined with the opener will allow you to control anomalies," Connor said. "If you help me and well, myself, then we might be able to stop her."

"Of course. Anything I can do," Cutter agreed.

* * *

A while later, while the two Connor Temples worked in his lab on the opening device, Hatter and his two daughters sat in a separate lab. Jessica had taken to her double rather well and Sarah hadn't seemed at all fazed.

"So… Damon's taken the throne?" Sarah asked her blonde double.

"Yes. He's unstable. He's bloodthirsty beyond what his grandmother was. He beat me half-to-death, then left me in a shallow grave. I'm afraid what he's done to my brother, Kyle."

"He's alive? In your world?"

Jessica nodded. "I saw him when I escaped the palace. I can't go back there. He'll be waiting for me."

"What happened?"

"I killed the Queen of Hearts. Damon will have a warrant for my arrest by now. He doesn't know I'm alive. He thinks I'm a distant cousin. Ana of Diamonds."

Sarah smiled. "Then he's in for a shock. A bit of blood and dirt and he'll be seeing ghosts."

"Jabberwock…" Hatter started, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "You aren't…"

"Of course I am. I have to find Connor."

"But it was Kyle I saw," Jessica protested. "Not your brother."

"But where there's one, there's the other. If Connor's in Wonderland, he's in a lot of trouble. He can't help it. Especially since he's the one who killed Damon before."

Hatter cleared his throat. "Sarah, luv, settle down. We have no idea what's happening in Wonderland at the moment…"

"I highly doubt he's collecting exotic pets with all of us missing."

His temperamental daughter was pacing the room. It hurt to see her all worked up. Hatter had become used to be trapped in the past over the last few years. To run into an alternate version of his daughter and then his real daughter in the same day was a bit daunting.

"You're right, Jabberwock. But we can't just jump into this without looking. We could all get killed."

"He's right, Sarah. I don't know what will have happened by the time we make it back. It's possible Kyle could be dead, too," Jessica said softly.

"And doesn't that bother you? He's my brother!"

Hatter touched Sarah's shoulder. "Did you try the little thing…?"

"Of course! It's been dead since I fell! I can't reach him at all!"

Jessica opened her mouth to speak, then closed it.

"He's stronger than he looks, luv. I'm sure he's fine," Hatter said softly.

Sarah stepped into his arms. "What if he's not? He didn't even want to go! This is all my fault. I pushed him through the mirror…"

He rubbed his daughter's back, letting her cry. She melted further into his arms, dissolving into tears. Hatter knew no words would comfort her. He knew it because there was nothing anyone could say to him to quell his own fears about his wife and son. It was his job to stay strong.

But standing there, in the ARC, with Sarah in his arms, Hatter no longer felt strong.

* * *

Night fell in the forest. Connor and Kyle had rejoined their remaining allies at a small campsite. A fire roared, keeping away some of the night chill, as the Resistance fell asleep one by one.

Kyle and Connor were the only ones awake. Using a bit of water and a rag, Kyle had helped wipe the worst of the blood from Connor's skin. The younger man still seemed to be in shock from his actions. Kyle couldn't blame him.

"Don't worry. Soon we'll get rid of Damon. Then this nightmare will be over."

Connor didn't respond. He hadn't spoken much in the past few hours.

"Your sister would be proud of you."

Connor turned his back to him, curling up into a small ball against a tree. Kyle sighed, laying down on the forest floor. "Good night, little brother," he whispered.

**Author's Notes:**

I'm not too happy with this chapter, but I had to start getting everyone together for the big finale. Anyways, thanks for reading, reviewing, and voting! Sarah will be reuniting with Chase in the next chapter and there's going to be a Helen showdown coming up.

Thanks!


	28. Chapter 27: Shot Down

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I only own the original characters.

**Chapter Twenty-seven: Shot Down**

An anomaly pulsed in an empty lab. Both Connors stood beside it, one holding a device and the other holding another electronic device. On the fringe, Sarah stood with her father and Jessica.

"Are you ready?" the older Connor asked.

Sarah stepped forward. "Where are we going now?"

"Wonderland… I think."

She took his hand, following him up to the edge of the anomaly. "Okay. Dad, I'll be right back. I swear."

They stepped through together, Connor holding a device in his free hand just in case anything went wrong. And things went wrong, as they so often did when Helen Cutter became involved.

* * *

The anomaly in the ARC disappeared, leaving Connor Temple, David Hatter, and Jessica staring at the spot that had once been occupied by a ball of light. The young techno-geek stared at the missing anomaly like a deer caught in a set of oncoming headlights.

"I thought she was coming right back…" Jessica said.

"Me too," Hatter agreed. "Conn, what's the readings say?"

"It was closed… but not by us. Which means, someone else is messing around," he said. "Probably Helen."

"What about your device? Can we use that to get them back?"

"I can try, but the other me had the route set in his device, not mine."

Hatter nodded. "Helen's going to strike here soon. We need to be ready."

* * *

Sarah stared at the infamous Helen Cutter. The brunette aimed a handgun directly at her and Connor. She could feel the tension in Connor's body. Their hands were still locked together. She wasn't about to let go.

"Well, well. So we meet again," Helen said. "Sarah and Connor Temple… two peas in a pod. Two anomaly-jumping peas in a pod."

They took a step back together.

"Don't look so afraid, Connor. I'm not going to kill your daughter just yet. I have a few questions first…"

"What do you want, Helen?" he asked.

"You know what, Connor. Give me the device. Now."

"No."

The gun cocked. "Now, you stupid boy."

His hand tightened on hers. Sarah could feel the sweat. "No. I'll never give it to you."

"Too bad. I was hoping we could reach an agreement."

The gun went off, the shot temporarily damaging Sarah's hearing. The bullet blasted into Connor's chest. Sarah couldn't help but scream as he fell down.

Another shot went off, this one at a closer range. A second shot followed, forcing Sarah to crumple beside a man she trusted to get her home. A man she loved like her brother. A man who might be dead.

"I'll take that," Helen said, prying the opener from Connor's fingers. She smiled down at Sarah, who was breathing heavy. "Good night, little Temple."

A third bullet slammed into her torso. Sarah felt her eyes close from the pain.

When she opened them again, Helen was gone.

* * *

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Chase and Alice ducked behind a few bushes when they heard the shots. They stayed low, unsure if the shots were meant for them or someone else hiding in the woods. Given that they were in Wonderland, anyone could be a target.

They crept along, trying to get a look at the gunman.

Or, in this case, gunwoman.

Two bodies fell, one of a man, and the other a woman. Both had dark hair. The girl lost her hat when she collapsed.

Alice screamed into her hand. Chase put his arms around her, holding her still.

As soon as the shooter left, they stood up. Alice ran faster down the hill than Chase, who stumbled in his sneakers. She went straight to her daughter's side.

"Sarah? Sarah, oh God, Sarah…"

She brushed the loose strands of dark hair out of her daughter's face. Chase knelt beside her, his face frozen in horror. But Sarah wasn't bleeding.

Alice pulled open her daughter's shirt, revealing a thin vest. There were three bullets lodged in the vest: one in the stomach, one over her heart, and the other in her ribs. Had Sarah not been wearing a vest, she would have bleed out in minutes.

"Sarah, please, wake up."

Chase touched her pale face. "Sarah, c'mon, wake up. It's me… Chase…"

"She's still breathing…"

He nodded. "What about him?"

Alice looked over at the other person. She crawled over there and stifled a scream. "It's Connor!"

"You sure?"

"Yes… oh…"

Chase didn't look. He didn't want to look. There was a good chance that Connor was already dead. He didn't want Sarah to know that. He didn't want her to wake and find her brother lying beside her, dead.

He undid the vest a bit at the top and bottom. He had a feeling she had a few broken bones from being shot. The impact of the bullets had knocked out his girlfriend—ex-girlfriend. But her heart still beat. She was alive despite the bullets meant to end her life.

"C'mon, Sarah, please wake up…"

"He's alive!" Alice called from his other side. Chase let out a sigh of relief. Sarah wasn't alone. Not yet.

"Sarah, please…"

He touched her chapped lips with his finger. God she was beautiful, even lying in the dirt like that, a bulletproof vest covering her pale skin. It had been a long time since she'd let him touch her. He missed her so much.

He couldn't resist. He kissed her.

"Sarah, please…"

She coughed, rolling onto her side with his help. He rubbed her back as she coughed.

"Sarah…"

"Chase? What are you…? Where…?" she asked, her accent as thick as ever.

He kissed her again on the lips, silencing her questions. She was alive. Sarah was alive and kicking, literally, since she shoved him away moments later.

"What the 'ell?"

He smiled. "Mouth to mouth?"

"Like 'ell!"

_That's my Sarah…_

* * *

Becker rallied his men to defend the perimeter. The priority of the ARC's military team was to protect the core team of scientists. Connor, Hatter, Cutter, and Abby were to be protected at any cost. Lester insisted on it in order to keep Helen from getting her hands on any delicate information.

They continued their daily work, with Jessica taking turns observing the various team members. It was a day after Sarah and the older Connor disappeared when Helen finally struck. Her clone army overwhelmed Becker's men and slipped into the ARC.

The clones rounded up all the team members and brought them to the central room. Helen smiled at her group of captives.

"Oh good, you're all here…" she said. "Now it's time to separate… Dr. Page and Lester in one group, Jenny in another, and ooh, Connor and Abby need to be separated as well. Connor can stay here. You two, Hatter… Cutter. As for you…"

Helen walked over to Jessica, staring at her. "Who are you?"

"No one important."

"Fine. Kill this one."

"No!" Hatter shouted, struggling in the hold of two of the Cleaner clones. "Don't you touch her!"

Helen looked at the clone nearest Jessica. "Kill her. She's useless."

The clone grabbed Jessica by her neck. She clawed at the hand strangling her. Hatter cursed and fought across the room as she slowly lost air. Her legs kicked in the air.

"Stop it! Let her go!" Hatter shouted, his fist tingling.

* * *

"What's with the bullshit mouth to mouth?" Sarah asked.

"I couldn't help it. I've missed you," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her again. "I've missed you so much…"

He caught her hand instead. "Look, where's Conn?"

"He's out cold."

"That bitch."

"Who?"

"Helen…" Sarah went to sit up straight and hissed. "She shot us…"

"Who's Helen?"

"Don't worry about it," she groaned. "Ah, fuck it hurts…"

"Take it easy… you were hit three times…"

"I can't! Dad's in trouble!"

Her mother looked over. "What? Your dad… where is he?"

"He's trapped in London. In the past. With me—well, alternate me. Jessica." She sat up this time, her face twisted in pain. "I have to get back there!"

"Calm down," Chase insisted. "Settle…"

"I can't!"

He wrapped his arms around her. "You have to. I need you to calm down before we can help Hatter. Connor's hurt…"

"Conn?"

Chase helped her over to Connor's side. Her mother gave her a quick little hug. "Oh, Sarah…"

"Mum, I'm so glad you're okay."

Alice just smiled at her. "Me too."

The three of them turned their focus to Connor who was still unconscious.

* * *

Hatter broke free, lashing out at the men holding him back from his daughter. A few quick punches and they were down for the count. Across the room, Jessica stopped kicking.

With his sledgehammer fist, he punched the man strangling his daughter in the stomach. The clone didn't seem to register the pain. Neither did Hatter. He kept fighting, his fists swinging as he fought to free his daughter.

In the background, he heard Helen laughing. He didn't care.

Jessica fell in a heap. He went to her side, prompting her to breathe. He started chest compressions when another clone attacked him. He ended up in a chokehold.

"Oi! Leave him alone!" Connor shouted, jumping a nearby clone.

It was controlled chaos as the ARC team lashed out at their captors. Helen stood in the center of the fighting, watching as Hatter fought to survive. But she didn't count on his extra-powerful hand. No one outside of Wonderland ever did.

He fractured the clone's arm in his bid for escape. It worked. The Cleaner dropped him.

On the floor, he checked Jessica. She was breathing slowly.

Hatter picked up a discarded gun. "Oi! Over here, you bitch!"

Helen looked over at him, a smirk on her face. "What are you going to do with that?"

"Kill you."

Before she could speak again, Hatter fired once. "That's for making Sarah disappear."

He stepped closer, firing a second shot. He moved in for the kill with his bare hands. "That's for messing with my family. For hurting my daughter. For threatening my friends."

Helen laughed, despite the blood dotting her chest. Hatter punched her in the mouth. Blood dripped down the corner.

"You'll never hurt anyone again…"

Hatter didn't stop punching her until long after Becker, Cutter, and Connor pulled him off. Even then, the Madness was in full swing. He kept struggling to finish beating Helen.

It was Jessica who ended it with a blow from a gun.

He passed out cold on the ARC's floor beside Helen's lifeless body.

**Author's Notes:**

As voted on by you, the readers, Helen has been killed by Daddy Hatter! Questions, comments? As always, please, please review! We're almost at the end, my friends!


	29. Chapter 28: Bittersweet Victory

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** Nothing. Just the original characters.

**Chapter Twenty-eight: Bittersweet Victory**

"Ow."

A pair of brown eyes opened.

"Delayed reaction much?" Sarah taunted as Connor blinked.

"What? It hurt…"

She punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow!"

"Wimp."

"Sarah, be nice," Alice said, pulling her back. "How are you feeling, Connor?"

"Sore…"

"You're alive. Be thankful for that much," Sarah said.

"Oi!"

"Chase," Alice said with a sigh.

"Got it," the other man said, tossing Sarah over his shoulder.

"Hey! Put me down!" the twenty-year-old hissed.

Connor sat up, watching her disappear into the trees. "Getting shot really doesn't help her temper…"

"Not at all," Alice agreed.

He stuck out a hand. "You must be Alice. I'm Connor… Connor Temple."

She didn't take his hand. "Temple?"

"Oh… sorry, I thought Sarah told you… I'm not her brother. Just a bloke with similar features. I'm from London."

"But you look…"

"I know. She showed me pictures of her brother and her dad. It's uncanny."

"How did you get here… if you're from London?"

"Long story," Connor said, trying to stand up. "Did you see a lady with dark hair, a gun, and a crazy look in her eye around here?"

"Why?"

"We need to find her… before she destroys the world." Connor clutched his chest. "Gah, that really knocks the air outta ya…"

"She shot you?"

"Hit a vest. Your daughter's idea. A very good one."

Alice smiled at him. "Sometimes her smarts are debatable. But she knows when she's likely to end up shot. She's saved more than one life that way."

"Her brother?" Connor guessed.

"Yeah…"

* * *

"Put me down!" Sarah hissed.

Chase flipped her back onto her feet. "Don't run. I really don't feel like chasing you today."

"Give me one good reason."

He touched her cheek, his eyes staring into hers. "I love you."

Her hand cracked across his face. The slap echoed in the dense trees. "Stop lying."

"I'm not."

She took a step back as he tried to take her hand. "I don't love you."

"Sarah…"

"I hate you."

"Please…"

"I don't want to see you."

"You don't mean that."

She took another step back, ending up pressed against a tree. "I do. I hate you."

Chase stepped closer, less than a foot of air separating them.

"I love you, Sarah Hatter. I don't care what you say or do. I still love you. I've loved you for years…"

"Stop it. Stop saying that…"

He took another step closer. His lips were only a few millimeters apart from hers.

"I love you. I'm sick of running away from you. I'm sick of this game we've been playing. I don't care about the past. I just want you in my future."

She opened her mouth to protest, only to feel his lips against hers. She closed her eyes, about to push him away. Instead, she pulled him closer, her arms winding around his neck. It had been so long since she'd kissed him.

All of her little flings paled in comparison to this one moment.

This was what she wanted. She'd missed this.

She'd missed him.

* * *

After a restless night's sleep, Connor ended up perched in a tree, looking down at the Suits surrounding the palace. Kyle was beside him.

"So, what's the plan, little brother?"

Connor looked at the scarred face of his double. "We're going to let them capture me again. Damon won't be able to resist another chance to kill me. This time he'll want to kill me himself. I'm going to go alone."

"Why?"

"Because I'm the distraction. You need to get inside with the troops and meet up with Chase. Coordinate an attack on Damon. I'm going to do my best to keep him busy."

"That's suicide."

Connor sighed. "Probably, yeah. But I don't care. Damon thinks I'm you. We need to use that."

"Let me do it."

"No, I need to this. I need to stop running and hiding. Just tell my family I love 'em, would you?"

"Connor…"

"I mean it, Kyle. Tell 'em I love 'em. And tell Sarah to stay outta trouble."

"I can't—"

"You have to. Wait for them to take me inside and go. They'll all be focused on me. Take out all the Suits you can. Use Chase to get into the throne room and kill Damon. I'm trusting you to do this. You're going to save Wonderland," Connor said, his hand on his double's shoulder. "Don't let me down."

He climbed down, walking determinedly across the grass toward the palace. He kept his head held high, despite the fact that he was facing death. Damon would kill him, probably before Kyle made it inside the palace. But Connor didn't care. He had to do this.

_For Sarah…_

He had to face Damon again. He had to try and kill the man who murdered his sister—even if it was his double's sister, not his own. He had to.

_Forgive me…_

* * *

Hatter opened his eyes slowly.

"Jessica?" he mumbled, remembering the blonde version of his daughter kicking her legs in the air, hands wrapped around her slender neck.

"I'm here," she said, appearing in his field of vision. "I'm here, dad."

He smiled. "What happened?"

"Helen's dead."

"How?"

"You don't remember?"

He shook his head. His last memory was her struggling to breathe.

"You killed Helen. The Madness…it came over you. I had to knock you out."

Hatter took a deep breath. "Is everyone okay? Connor? Abby?"

"They're fine. Cutter, too. Everyone's fine."

"Except Sarah."

Jessica went quiet. Hatter wasn't surprised. Mentioning Sarah to her wasn't fair. Even if they were both versions of the same person, rubbing in Sarah's disappearance and his concern for her was cruel.

"I'm sorry, luv. I just…"

"I understand. You look at me and see her."

"It's not that simple. None of it is. But that's not important right now. We need to get to Wonderland. Did Connor figure out the device yet?"

Jessica helped him stand up. They moved toward the doors of the lab he'd been resting in.

"I'm not sure."

"Well then, now's as good a time as any!"

* * *

Sarah, Chase, Alice, and Connor Temple observed the palace from a distance. They watched as a small group of men infiltrated the palace, led by a rugged, yet familiar figure.

"Connor!" Sarah cried, Chase's hand stifling her scream.

Her brother disappeared with his troops. The Resistance. Her little brother was the leader of the Resistance. Her heart swelled with pride.

"C'mon," Connor said, leading the way down the small incline. All of the guards were gone—either dispatched by the Resistance or currently inside the palace.

Sarah took the lead, Chase following her closely. Connor stayed with Alice. None of them let their fear show.

The hallways were a maze. Sarah expected it. She planned for it.

She listened to the subdued sounds of battle. The Resistance was overwhelming the Suits with the element of surprise. Connor had taught his men well.

The Resistance let Sarah and her group through, each of the members bowing to her. Some of them even whispered "princess" as she passed. They all thought she was the missing Princess Jessica—their rightful queen.

She didn't bother to correct them as they were escorted through to the throne room.

Two Resistance men opened the heavy doors. The Resistance went in first, coming up against the remaining Suits guarding the king. Sarah threw a few punches and kicks before resorting to the gun and knife she'd taken from the ARC. Her mother fought beside her, expertly flipping her opponents.

Chase and Connor fought back to back, Connor wielding a staff he'd snatched from a corner of the room. Chase used his fists.

"If anyone moves another muscle I'll slit his throat!" a rough voice shouted over the din.

All eyes turned to the throne were Damon stood. He had one arm locked around a man's shoulders and a knife to his throat.

Sarah's heart leapt into her throat. The man Damon was holding hostage was her brother. Connor was Damon's hostage.

**Author's Notes:**

Almost there, almost there! All we need to do is have one more big showdown. Thanks!


	30. Chapter 29: Destroying Damon

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to the SyFy production of _Alice_ or to the ITV/Impossible Pictures production of _Primeval_.

**Chapter Twenty-nine: Destroying Damon**

A ball of light glowed in Connor's lab. The young man stood beside it, device in hand.

"Oh, good, you got it workin'," Hatter said, entering the lab with Jessica's help.

"I think it's the right location. I haven't checked yet."

"I'll check."

Hatter stepped through the anomaly with the ease of an experienced traveler. He was usually the one sliding through the rips in time. He never minded.

A few glances around confirmed the changed Wonderland he'd experienced. He stood in the abandoned Looking Glass hall, surrounded by dust and broken glass. He stepped toward the door in order to look outside at the smoldering ruins of one village to the side.

This was the changed Wonderland he'd stepped into with Alice. This was the world where Jessica lived.

With a sigh, he stepped back into the ARC. "Great job, Conn. Really."

The young man lit up. "So I guess this is good-bye?"

"'Fraid so."

Connor gave him a big hug. "I'll miss you, Daddy Hatter… Uncle Hatter… whatever…"

He smiled. "I'll miss you, too, Conn."

* * *

On the other side of the Glass, the standoff in Damon's throne room continued.

Connor was beaten and bloody—Sarah could tell that much from across the room. However, her brother kept his head up. He didn't look defeated, even with the knife to his throat. They both knew Damon would slit this throat without hesitation.

_Sarah?_

It took a lot of restraint to keep from running to her brother when she heard his voice. Their connection was back online.

_Conn? You okay?_

_Been better. You?_

_Hanging in there. Chase came back._

_I see._

_What are you doing here pissing Damon off?_

_I'm doing what you would do…_

She rolled her eyes. _I wouldn't have a knife to my throat, little bro._

_That wasn't the plan._

_Then what is the plan?_

_Umm, I don't really have one?_

Sarah tried not sigh. Getting angry with Connor wasn't going to save his neck. Reasoning with Damon was. If Damon could be reasoned with.

"Oi! Over here!" she called.

Damon shifted a bit, dragging Connor with him. Blood spotted her brother's neck. The knife had nicked the skin.

"You… little… whore…." Damon spat, his voice filled with more venom than she'd ever heard before.

"Permission to move, Your Majesty?"

"Permission granted—just for you, sweet cheeks. Come here…"

Sarah stepped toward him. "I want you to let my brother go."

"No, I don't think so… Jessica."

"A trade then. Me for him."

He snorted. "As if I would trade a real, flesh-and-blood human for a ghost?"

"I'm not a ghost, Damon. You failed. You never killed me. I healed. I'm better than I was. I'm stronger. I'm strong enough to kill you."

He laughed, taking a step back with Connor. "You, you pathetic little half-breed, kill me, the King of Wonderland? I doubt it."

She took a deep breath. "Let my brother go."

"No. I think I'll just kill him."

The knife pressed into Connor's throat.

Sarah evened the odds. She pulled out her gun, aiming it at Damon's head. "If you even try, I'll have a bullet in your brain."

Damon regarded her with a smirk, as if she were a worthy opponent.

"Go ahead. Shoot."

She clicked off the safety. No one else dared move.

"I'm going to count to three and you're going to let my brother go. I don't care if you take me instead, but you're going to let him go."

"One half-breed is as good as another…"

She stepped closer. "Let him go first."

"Closer, you little bitch."

They were just a few inches apart. She could touch Connor if she wanted.

"Put the gun down."

She did. "Let him go."

Damon gave Connor a shove, knocking him down to the ground as he reached for Sarah. She twisted his knife arm, forcing him to drop the blade.

As Damon reached for her throat, she elbowed him in the stomach. They grappled, each fighting for leverage over the other, until they ended up on the ground. He smacked her across the face several times, causing her lip to bleed.

By that time, everyone else had leapt into action.

His hands grabbed her throat, choking her. Sarah thrashed, but his hand was replaced with a sharp blade.

"You're dead, bitch. You're dead!"

The knife slashed across her neck.

Sarah fell to her knees when he released her, her hand touching the deep cut. Blood poured from the slice. She tried not to choke or cough despite the urges. She just clamped a hand down.

Connor wrapped his scarf around her neck, helping to stop the blood. "Don't talk, don't talk," he insisted.

"Don't touch her," Chase hissed.

* * *

It was brother versus brother again.

Chase knew Damon's moves. As soon as Sarah went down and Connor went to her side, he went after his brother. Damon still had the knife, wet with Sarah's blood, in his hand.

Instead of stabbing his target, the blade ended up in Chase's chest.

"Get out of my way!" Damon yelled.

"No… she's… you don't get to hurt her…"

The knife hit him again, this time in the stomach. "Let me through… brother. Traitor…"

"No."

Chase tightened his grip on Sarah's gun. He pressed it against Damon's temple.

"Oh, so you finally got some balls…"

"I won't let you kill her…" Chase swore, trying to ignore the pain and blood loss. "I won't…"

"Then I'll kill you and her."

He pulled the trigger.

* * *

When Hatter and Jessica arrived, the throne room was a mess. Blood and brain matter covered the actual throne. There were bodies everywhere and discarded weapons.

In the middle of all the chaos, Sarah lay on a stretcher. Her neck was covered in bandages. Connor stood with her, holding her hand tightly. Another Connor—the one who had traveled to the ARC with his daughter—stood with Alice a foot away.

Damon's body lay on the floor. His head was gone.

Not far from him, Chase was on a stretcher. A sheet had been pulled over his body. The young man he'd come to consider a son was dead.

"Dad!" Connor cried, leaving Sarah to hug him.

His youngest, the non-violent one in the family, was covered in blood. He also had a few battle scars. "What happened?"

"Later… You okay?"

"Fine, Conn. What's wrong with your sister?"

"Her throat was slashed. It's been stitched up. She's unconscious from the painkillers."

Hatter nodded. "Alice, oh, Alice…"

He felt her tears on his cheek. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, breathing in her scent. She smelled like home.

"Alice…"

"Hatter… oh, God I was… never, never do that again!"

"I won't. I promise…"

Her lips met his. He melted a little. It had been a long separation for him. He hadn't realized how long it had been until he had Alice in his arms.

"Alice…"

* * *

Connor Temple stood off to the side. He'd met Kyle, Sarah's brother's counterpart in this alternate version of Wonderland, as well as Jessica. He even met a second Chase. The first one, the Chase that Sarah loved, lay dead underneath a sheet.

As the chaos of battle settled, he started to work with the anomaly opener. Since there were two Wonderlands and a malfunctioning mirror, he had a lot of work to do. Jessica, Kyle, and the second Chase would remain. The only problem would be getting the Hatters back to their Wonderland,

New York should be easy, but fixing two sets of Looking Glasses would be a pain.

But he could do it. He would do it and go home to his ARC where Abby and his daughter were waiting for him.

* * *

Helen Cutter watched her plans fall apart at the seams.

But that didn't matter. Connor Temple and his daughter were still there and still alive. With the girl in a hospital wing, it would be easy to slip her a little bit extra of a drug and watch her die. Temple would be more difficult, but she could handle it. She had to.

**Author's Notes:**

Okay, one more chapter and then the happily ever-afters in the epilogue!


	31. Chapter 30: Ending Helen

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything other than the original characters.

**Chapter Thirty: Ending Helen **

A few stitches closed up the deep gash in Sarah's neck. She welcomed the drugs that kept her from feeling the pain in her neck and the pain in her heart. Connor had been there, holding her hand, when she learned the news.

Chase Heart—her Chase—was dead. He'd been killed in the fight.

His body had been prepared for burial and was awaiting transport back to their Wonderland. Her friend, Connor Temple, was working on securing transportation for them. He was hard at work on fixing the Looking Glass with her brother's help.

Her double, Jessica, was cleaning up Wonderland and restoring order. Kyle was helping her getting the kingdom running again.

But no one was helping Chase. Her lover was dead and he was staying dead. There was no medical cure in this alternate Wonderland that could bring him back to life. The technology had never been invented here.

That left Sarah alone in a hospital room where doctors and nurses kept an eye on her and her neck wound.

* * *

"That should do it," Connor announced, making one final adjustment to the Looking Glass.

The mirror hummed to life.

"Yes!" her brother rejoiced, giving his double a high five.

"That's brilliant," Hatter said. "Just brilliant."

Temple beamed.

"Now what?" asked Jessica. The blonde had been keeping an eye on the two man crew for the past week. She had been crowned queen a few days before.

"Now we run a few tests," Temple said.

"How long will it take?"

"Maybe two days?"

She sighed. "Okay. What do you need?"

Temple shrugged his shoulders, facing the small crowd of his double, Jessica, Sarah, and Hatter. "Any volunteers?"

Hatter stepped forward. "Do you need an anomaly jumper?"

"Yeah, that's a good start. Umm, Sarah, can you get a list going of the places the Glass needs to open to?"

She nodded, still not talking. Her throat was on the mend, the bandages covered with a bright colored scarf snitched from her twin brother.

"Queen Jessica, are you going to stay for the demonstration?"

"Of course," the blonde said.

"Okay. Let's try… one of the US locations from… two weeks ago." Connor Temple made a few hasty adjustments as everyone, minus Sarah, watched.

The mirror's surface changed, rippling.

"Hatter? Would you do the honors?"

The older man tipped his hat to the assembled group and jumped through the mirror.

Both Connors and Jessica waited several minutes before Hatter jumped back through. He landed with the grace of an experienced jumper. In his hand he clutched a newspaper.

"Well?" Temple asked.

Hatter proudly held up the paper, displaying a date from two weeks ago. "South Dakota, USA," he relayed.

* * *

In the wilds of Wonderland, on the fringes of the palace, Helen Cutter lay in wait. All of her targets were inside the palace along with the opening device and Temple's latest project. All she had to do was get inside, kill the queen and her guards, and kill Temple.

Anyone who got in her way would die. She had to fix her world. The ARC had to be destroyed.

Connor Temple and his inventions needed to go up in smoke.

But first, she had to deal with Temple's daughter. According to what she'd overheard, Sarah was still in the hospital wing.

Helen swung her backpack on her shoulder. It wouldn't take long to dispatch the brat.

* * *

Sarah went back to the hospital wing to get her wound cleaned again. She'd already started a list of necessary portals based on her knowledge of Wonderland. All she had to do was double-check with the reference books in the palace's library later.

She lay down on the bed, Connor's scarf in her hands. She'd unwound it from her neck to allow the nurses to see her neck. The scarf helped cover the white bandages, making Sarah feel more normal. It still hurt to speak and probably would for some time.

The doctors had insisted she'd been lucky to survive the knife wound. She didn't feel lucky most of the time.

Her eyes closed, exhaustion setting in. She had enough time to take a nap before a nurse came to check on her neck.

* * *

Helen pulled a scrub top over her shirt to help blend in. She looked like most of the nurses in the hospital wing.

She grabbed some medication from a storage area along with a needle. She smiled at the label. Orphenadrine citrate—more commonly known as norflex. It was meant as a muscle relaxant. The best part was that by the time Sarah Temple dropped dead, no one would be able to trace it to the hospital wing or to Helen.

The girl was asleep on a hospital bed when Helen spotted her.

She filled the syringe with a large dose—large enough to ensure death in a person twice the size of Temple's diminutive daughter—and flicked the air bubbles out.

The needle was in her arm before the girl woke.

"Ssh, it's just to prevent infection," Helen said, not looking at Sarah's eyes.

"But, I—"

"All done." Helen patted her arm.

* * *

With her neck cleaned and rebandaged, Sarah went to the library alone. She wasn't there long before her brother slipped into her head.

_You outta the hospital?_

_Been out. What's new?_

_Just waiting on you. _

_Did dad go mirror-jumping?_

_Yup, been there, done that. How was the hospital?_

_They gave me another shot. That nurse sucked._

_Really?_

_She must be new._ Sarah closed her eyes, feeling a wave of nausea. _Ugh, I don't feel too good._

_Medication got ya down? _

_Don't start with me._

_Want some company?_

_No, bro. I'll be fine. I've got work to do, remember? Go play with your fun toys. I'll see ya soon…_

* * *

"Jabberwock? Time to go, luv," Hatter called, opening the library door.

His daughter sat in a plush chair, not moving. She didn't even look up.

"Sarah?"

He shook her, frowning when she went boneless in his arms. She didn't stir at all.

"Luv?"

He tapped her cheek, trying to wake her up. "Sarah?"

Hatter touched her neck, feeling for a pulse. There was one, but it was uneven. She was barely alive. "Connor! CONNOR!" he shouted toward the hallway.

His younger son skidded into the library. "What?"

"Page the hospital wing. Get your mum. Something's wrong with Sarah."

* * *

Connor Temple stood across the hall from Sarah's room. The young woman was on a ventilator across from a heart monitor. Her pulse was slow. Her heart was failing.

The official diagnosis was a coma. Sarah was trapped in a coma.

"How soon can we get through the Glass?" Alice asked him, her eyes falling to her unconscious daughter.

"Whenever you want, I should be able to set it. The Glass seems to be holding steady. Do you think she's gonna be okay?"

Alice shook her head. "Too early to tell. The sooner we get her home, the sooner we can get her really good medical care."

"So you want to go straight to New York?"

"That would be great, Connor."

"It's no trouble, Mrs. Hatter."

* * *

Helen watched Connor head off to the Looking Glass Hall on his own. The rest of the gang stayed in the hospital wing. They'd found Sarah before the girl was truly dead. She was close to death, but not close enough for Helen's satisfaction.

She had wanted to finish the new queen off first, but Temple was her primary goal. She needed the opening device.

He had his back to the door when she slipped inside.

"I was wondering when you'd show up," Connor said, still not turning around.

"How did—"

"I saw you shoot us. I knew you were still here. It was only a matter of time. You're the reason Sarah's hurt, aren't you?"

"I'm impressed that you were able to put that together without Abby or Nick holding your hand."

Connor didn't turn. "Go ahead, Helen. Shoot me in the back like the coward you are. It won't change anything."

She scoffed. "Are you that eager to die?"

"It doesn't matter. You won't leave Wonderland alive."

It was her turn to be surprised when a gun cocked in her ear.

"Hello, Helen. Sarah's told me a lot about you. None of it was good," a thickly accented voice hissed. It sounded a lot like Connor, only not. There was an edge to his voice—an edge of danger and violence.

She turned, glaring down the barrel at her would-be killer. The man was a younger Connor.

"You think you'll kill me? I'd be surprised if you knew how to work that."

"I've had lessons. And that's my sister you put in the hospital. You shot her before. You're a part of this entire mess. You're the reason we got stuck here."

She couldn't help but grin at the kid's show of bravery. Or stupidity.

"And what are you going to do about it? Can you really pull that trigger on an unarmed woman?"

"You're not unarmed and you're not a woman. You're a monster," the miniature Connor hissed.

"Conn, I can do it…" the older Temple suggested.

"No. I'll do it. I have to."

The gun shook. "You're not a killer," Helen taunted. "I can tell."

"Shut up!"

"You're the weak one, aren't you?"

"I said shut up!"

"Conn, calm down," Temple said.

"I…I…"

Helen watched as the meek geek in front of her changed, becoming a bit more of a dangerous person. He didn't look the same.

"You won't pull the trigger. You don't know how," Helen said, walking closer to the gun. Temple couldn't use a gun—even a tranquilizer gun. She knew this version of him couldn't either.

But Helen Cutter was wrong.

The bullet sailed through Helen's forehead. Connor Hatter didn't blink. He couldn't. This woman was behind all of their recent troubles. She'd broken the mirror and stranded him and Sarah. She'd shot at his sister multiple times and killed people that both she and the other Connor knew.

Helen had to be stopped.

Connor Temple knew she would show up again. That's why they'd decided to work together. But the plan had never been for him to shoot Helen. They'd never gotten that far.

But the Madness grew in him. He couldn't help it.

He killed Helen Cutter with one shot.

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry it took so long – I've been sick, without 'net, and attacked by multiple animals. Anyways, here's the last chapter. The epilogue will tie up all the loose ends concerning everyone's fate, I promise.


	32. Epilogue: Home

**Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything other than the original characters.

**Epilogue: Home**

The Hatters returned to their flat with a casket, an out-of-place computer/dinosaur expert, and a dying daughter. Connor didn't say much. He went straight to his room to check on Rex, Sid, and Nancy. Hatter laid Sarah down on the couch while Alice went to grab the phone.

He knelt down beside his daughter, listening to her heart slow down.

"Alice?"

"I'm on hold!" she called back from the kitchen.

"Taxi. We'll take a taxi."

Hatter went down the hallway to retrieve his wallet and a blanket for Sarah. She looked cold lying there on the sofa.

When he stepped back into the living room, Sarah was coughing.

"Alice! C'mere!"

His wife hurried into the room. The phone in her hand hit the floor, breaking apart. "Sarah, oh God!"

On the sofa, Sarah sat up, coughing. "Da?"

"I'm here, baby, I'm here…" he said, his arms around her. He listened to her heart beat, nice and strong.

"Where's Chase?" she asked, her voice rough.

His brown eyes met Alice's blue. Neither of them wanted to remind her about her ex-boyfriend's murder. Not like this. Not after almost losing her.

But that didn't matter in the end.

* * *

When Connor Temple brought them back, he'd stepped back in time just a few days before the mirror broke. Apparently by taking that leap back, despite their physical wounds, Sarah and Chase were alive. None of them really understood why they'd survived.

All that mattered was that they survived.

* * *

With Connor's help, the four Hatters and Chase traveled back to their Wonderland. There was no Jessica and Kyle there. Alice's replacement queen still sat on the throne at the moment.

Luckily, both Sarah and Chase remembered everything that happened despite their deaths. Their separate experiences helped them get back together. Chase even willingly accompanied her to Wonderland.

After two weeks in New York and Wonderland with the Hatter family, it was time for Connor Temple to go back to his life. He upgraded the Hatter's mirror to prevent further breakage and allowed for a time-control.

The main Looking Glass in Wonderland got an overhaul as well.

The only person who was really upset by Connor's plans was Sarah's brother.

"Do ya have ta go?" the younger man asked. Sarah and Chase were out on a date, Alice was at the dojo, leaving only Connor and Hatter at the flat.

"Yeah, I've gotta get back home. My wife and daughter are waiting."

"Are ya gonna visit?"

Connor Temple sighed. "Tell you what, Conn. We could always use help at the ARC. Lester's been wanting to expand for a while. Lemme give you a number…"

"Really? Ya mean I'd work with anomalies like you and da?"

"Yeah. And creatures like Rex and Sid and Nancy."

"Wicked," Connor Hatter said with a grin.

Temple handed over Lester's number. "Plus you could always visit. You know the settings, right?"

Connor nodded.

"Good luck. Try and keep Sarah out of trouble, yeah?"

"Like that'll ever happen."

Connor Temple smiled, shaking his double's hand. "Good luck anyways."

In a flash of spinning mirrors, he disappeared.

Connor Hatter sat in his room, Rex perched over his desk, and Sid at his feet. He held the number his friend had scribbled down in his hand.

He punched it into his cell phone, carefully adding the international codes.

"Hello, is this is Mr. Lester? My name's Connor Hatter. Umm, Connor Temple told me to give you a call about working for the ARC…"

**Author's Notes:**

Tada, the end! I'm not sure yet what the third entry will be titled, but it will be Connor-centric and it will be a crossover with Primeval. It will also tie up any loose ends from "Glass". Basically, Connor ends up working for a US-based ARC. It's going to jump in the future a bit and we're gonna meet his new girlfriend.

I'll respond to all reviews from the last few chapters on Tuesday. Sorry I didn't get around to it earlier. It's been nuts. Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed it and the ending wasn't too much of a cop-out. Please, please review! Thanks so much!


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